Gas prices are up, inflation is higher than it has been in decades, half a million dollars in Colorado gets you a fairly mediocre home. But you know what? God is our provider. Philippians 4:6 says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (NIV).

The Bible is true. But when you’re facing hardship, it’s easy to believe it’s not. It’s easy to look at the waves instead. One of the things God asked Israel to do was to remind themselves of the times when he came through for them. He told them to go over the stories with their children. Even their festivals reminded them of when he came through for their ancestors. It’s important to remember God’s faithfulness and to be intentional about it because what you focus on, your heart becomes sensitive to. We’ve heard it before in charismatic circles, but the saying is true: Don’t focus on the problem, focus on the answer.

Testimonies are important because they speak to the heart of God’s faithfulness. As a little girl, my favorite books were filled with stories about how God came through for people, often at the last moment. When he told me to move to Colorado to attend Bible college when I had only a couple hundred bucks to my name, it created the need and the space for him to come through for me. And the cool thing was, he did come through! I got to experience first-hand the stories I had been reading about as a kid. He started teaching me how to trust him for my needs. He provided me with a car given to me by someone I had never met before, a black Ford Probe (when I started yelling at work that God gave me a probe, a co-worker started laughing and said, “Maybe you should re-word that”). He paid for my first semester of tuition by a different person I had only known a few hours. He provided a roommate, cheap but cozy housing (in a cabin no less, which is just my game). He gave me favor at my jobs where I got paid more than everyone else in the same position. I experienced his favor and provision time after time. But my favorite story of his provision was in regard to the amount of only fifty bucks. And that’s the story I want to share here.

College kids are known for being broke and I was no exception. I went to school full time and had three part-times jobs and volunteered (the school made us do volunteer work; I wasn’t THAT selfless). My schedule was so full I remember falling asleep in the parking lot at work waiting for my shift to start. But God always provided, and I never felt very stressed. I figured if he was the one who told me to go to Bible college, then he would provide. But one particular week I was more broke than usual, and I was talking to God about it on the drive to school. I was about a week away from pay day and I just needed something like fifty bucks to get me through until then.

“God, is there something you want me to do so you can ‘bless the work of my hands?’ Should I go mow lawns or something?” But my schedule was so busy, and laziness was not the issue. Apparently, God agreed because I heard him answer, You don’t need to do anything extra for the money. I want you to read my word on provision and actually believe it. And then just praise me. Read your word and actually believe it? Huh, what a concept. It’s easy to read passages in the Bible over and over but not actually believe them. Maybe that is what the word means by “being a hearer only” (James 1:22) .

He lead me to Matthew 6:25-33 which talks about how God feeds the birds, and clothes the flowers and ends with: so don’t worry but seek his kingdom first, and these things shall be added to you. So all that night and into the next day anytime I was tempted to worry, I’d say those scriptures instead, and then I would praise him. He could feed the birds, he could get me fifty bucks.

That night there was a conference at the school with praise and worship and then a guest speaker. During worship, I praised with a care-free heart because he told me to. When the conference was coming to a close, a lady who had been sitting in the seat behind me tapped me on the shoulder. “Excuse me, this may sound weird, but God has been speaking to me about you this whole time. You’re going to do great things for him and he told me to give you fifty bucks.” I didn’t just cry, I burst into violent tears right in her face. People came over to ask if I was OK and I couldn’t even answer. God had provided for me before, but this was so personal. I hadn’t spoken to anyone about my need. I’d never seen her in my life before or after. I just felt so seen and so loved by him.

Life has had lots of stresses lately. I’ve been tempted with anger and discouragement. When I take my eyes off of him, I forget the lesson I learned. The word tells me to build myself up in my most holy faith and to encourage myself in the Lord (Jude 1:20, 1 Samuel 30:6). It’s my job to turn my eyes from the waves and decide to remember that he is my provider. That I’m seen and loved by him. Life comes with challenges, big and little and in-between. But God is our Father. Not a distant or dysfunctional father, one that cares about all the details of our lives. Whether we’re believing for a spouse, for a child, for money, or healing, we have to learn to quiet our souls, turn to him, read his word and actually believe it. Luke 12:32 says, Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (KJV).

What if we did believe God? What if we really took his advice and were anxious for nothing? As a friend of mine says,

What if it were true? And what if we believed it?