Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
As many who follow may know, I have had the privilege to know the Lord for over 40 years. During those decades, He has proved Himself to be a faithful, kind and loving Savior. And as I have learned to lean on Jesus, He has shown Himself to be a merciful Savior, never wavering, even in some very dark times.
This topical series will try to provide a snapshot of an ol’ fools prayers, the weakness and selfishness of his prayers, and the ever increasing goodness of God in His responses the those prayers.
I hope my witness to the goodness and faithfulness of God will be an encouragement to those reading, and will spur us all on to a deeper, more consistent time of being in the Lord’s presence.
Please visit with me as I tell the story of a faithful God and His care for an ol’ fool. Though David considered himself a poor man, I freely admit, I am just an “ol’ fool” looking to the Lord.
North or South
Many who have followed this blog realize I am a transplanted Canadian, settled deep in the heart of Texas. All my siblings remain in the Great White North, and at times I think they don’t quite understand our desire, determination and delight in living in the Lone Star state. But this isn’t about Texas! This post is about the timing and kindness, and the evident direction provided by the Father above for a drifting saint.
We had been in Texas for over a decade when I began to wonder if we were to remain. You see, the economy had soured and though we had attained a green card, allowing me to work anywhere in the states, career opportunities for yours’s truly were few and far between. The rare interview that I did gain, I found I was woefully unprepared for. My previous skill set was not matching the employment opportunities in the region, and my times of unemployment were extending into months. Things were become strained.
During a scouring of employment sites, I tripped over an opportunity in Canada, in the province of Alberta. In my desperation to provide for my loved ones, (and understanding that Alberta is basically a Texas wannabe culture), I reached out and provided my resume.
And then I was convicted.
Carl – you have fought to stay in Texas, and now you are loosing patience? Can you not trust God, and lean on Him? Thoughts swirled in my mind, swinging my attentions from a need to provide to a need to trust. If you have been in a similar situation, I am sure you can relate.
But I was convicted. I knew that even if the position in Canada was promising, and the position in Canada was perfect, the position in Canada would be a wrong move! Or at least I hoped it would be a wrong move. (I wanted to stay in Texas!)
It felt like I was between a rock and a hard place. But what am I going to do. I have to provide. I have to support my family. No matter what I did, I felt I would be disappointing God. Stay here and not provide. Move back to Canada and give up on the direction we had received.
So, as you may have expected, because the subject of the blog is prayer, I began to ask for direction. Specific direction. If I needed to go to Canada, I could work there and have my family follow after I was established in the position. If I was to stay in Texas, I needed to have that direction provided also.
I just wanted to have direction from the Lord.
In the background of all my worrying, a little woman started throwing out my resume to firms in the area that were not associated with the headhunters I was leaning on. It has been over a decade ago, but if I recall, I think she simply scoured the area for engineering firms and sent my resume off in a shotgun approach. This little woman sent my resume off to a particular firm in the city just days prior my prayer. And lo and behold, a day after my prayer, an email popped up in my inbox asking me to come for an interview.
The timing of the Lord in His answers to prayer is such a blessing. How is it that in the midst of all that was going on, I had a Father who was actively orchestrating a situation even before my will was bent to His.
I was at that firm for close to seven years, met many good folks, learned much, and never looked back.
God is good, even to those who are slipping in their trust!
Thanks for joining and Considering The Bible with me. Your thoughts are always welcome, and I look forward to hearing of the faithfulness of God in your lives.
Considering the Bible 