Even more...

This morning as I got ready, I was having a conversation with God. Most of the time I live in faith. I am thankful to have the gift of holding to faith when others around me doubt. However, I was working on a new budget last night. A budget that we need to use to make some changes that will benefit our family. But when I look at that budget sheet that ends in a negative, my faith wavers. I know that God will provide. I know it. But, still, these days I am caught being a pendulum... swinging from fully trusting and knowing in my heart, not just my head, that He will provide... swing to doubt when I see those negative signs pop up in my budget in black (or red) and white. Do we move forward with new plans, new plans that need to happen, and trust that He will provide when it doesn't appear that it can work? Is that being a good steward? Or do we stay put, even though we know that we're to move and continue to say "Someday it will work out. It must not be the right time."

This morning, the verse about God doing exceedingly more than we could expect or ask came into my head. And I begin to plead that verse to God. And I started to mull the verse over and over in my head as part of my conversation with Him. "Exceeding abundantly more"... not just more, not just abundantly more, but exceedingly. Definition: "to an extreme degree." I understand "more than we expect." But more than we could ask? I don't know about you, but I sometimes shoot for the stars when I ask. So to be "an extreme degree abundantly more" than I could ask... is way more than I could even think of asking for. Wow.

Then, I moved to claiming the verse. Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)
20Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

And as I started the car to go to work this morning and the radio came on, the first words are:
'Cause God knows everything you need
(From the song He Said by Group 1 Crew)

And my heart rejoices and praises Him... for loving me and my family... for loving me enough to not want me to keep worrying during the day... to arrange the radio songs and my morning to sync up perfectly so that not even a syllable of that phrase was cut off and leave me wondering. Plain as if someone was sitting in the car and said something straight to me, I hear "God knows everything you need."

So now I join all this with 2 verses that have shown up again and again in crazy ways since Mike and I met and married... Romans 8:28 (NLT)

28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.

And Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV 1984)

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

He is able to turn those negative signs into positives in our budget. He loves us... He is able to work all things out for our good because this is His purpose for us... Exceeding abundantly above all that I could ask or think... be glory to Him through Christ Jesus.

Blessings in your Adventure,