...Before we even asked

A little more than a month ago, our church elders told the congregation about a budget shortfall of more than $40,000. They had carefully looked over all of the numbers and determined that although we didn't have the projected income to meet the church's needs, they could not find any unnecessary programs to cut. We needed to come up with the money.

In response, they called the congregation to participate in a day of prayer and fasting the first weekend of April. However, they were very clear in their instructions: the purpose of our prayer and fasting was not to determine for ourselves how we were going to fix the problem, but rather to bring our need before God and see how He intended to provide for it.

This morning, the elders again came before the church, this time to share with everyone how God clearly responded to our need. Back in 2002, a church member had died and left $50,000 to our church. Due to some legal issues, the money has remained tied up since then and never been given. The church leaders were only recently made aware that this money even existed. After some work, all of the roadblocks were cleared and on April 4, the week after our elders spoke to the congregation, and the day before the fast, the check was finally written. Without knowing our church's situation, instructions were given not to cash the check until April 9, the week following the fast. Even after our church tithed on the check to pay into our missions fund, there was more than enough to cover the $43,000 needed to complete the budget.

"So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:14