Philippians 1:6 “Being confidant of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

it is time to tell my story. This is a testimony of sorts, it is one that has been building to a crescendo since June 30, 2013 and I am confident the Lord is not done yet. This is a story of fear and faith; brokenness and triumph and a renewed focus . while this my story, I am certain that it is your story as well. It is my prayer that my story will touch you and bring you hope; a hope that though it might be but embers in your heart, would spark with the knowledge that you are not alone; the knowledge that your race is not yet run until the great and glorious day of Jesus Christ.

I saw myself A as a success. I had it all: a great job that I  had bled and struggled over a fourteen year career to attain, a beautiful little girl who was starting high school in the fall, a lovely wife who the Lord used to speak truth into my life daily, and my faith in God, I was serving again in the body of Christ after a long period of growth and molding by the master potter; life was good.  When I took the time to categorize my priorities I listed them in the following order: 1. The job  2. My Family  3. My relationship with God. This is how I laid out my life and I was happy with it. I even had a tag line. I would tell people I met in the sanctuary before and after service, “The Lord knows when the rent’s due,” meaning that God was in charge, He knew what was needed before we did, so trust Him and all will be well. It was and is good advice. Revelation 22:13 I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last.  This is Jesus telling us that He is the beginning and end of everything – He is in charge. I can tell you with confidence that I did believe it then. When I said, “The Lord knows when the rent’s due,” I knew it was true. The thing is, Jesus knows our hearts. 1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. He knew that I was a work in progress.

The Lord moved on June 30, 2013. looking back on it now, I knew it was coming; like a whisper in the wind, that still small voice started saying, ” Get ready….I’m on the move……trust in Me.” I remember telling a friend early in the month that I was going to update my resume’. There was no earthly reason to do it. I had just maxed out bonus for the prior quarter and received a commendation. All was well and yet, I updated my resume’. Then, on June 30 at 10:30 in the morning,  my 14 year career came to an end. I was at peace. I accepted my severance package, said my goodbyes and went home.

On my way home, I prayed as I drove. It was nothing elaborate just a prayer for help and focus. The Lord brought me to Philippians  1:6. That verse became the anchor in every storm that followed over the next 8 months. From June-February the Lord kept the promise He made through Paul in Philippians. My family never missed a meal, the bills were paid on time; all of our earthly needs were met and exceeded. As for me, I had spiritual needs that I was unaware of.  Exodus 20: 2-3 I am the Lord you Go who brought you out  of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other Gods before me.  I had another god. I had even placed it above Him; it was my job. I had not intended to do so but I had. I had another god who had also taken residence in my heart above Him as well: my family. In short, my priorities needed to be reorganized and over the 8 months I spent depending on the Lord of the universe, Jesus worked that out in my life.

It took me eight months to find a job. During that time God worked to strip away my self-reliance; teaching me to trust in Him first; reminding me of  scriptures that say, through Him all things are made I Corinthians 15:28 and then, through my circumstances, proving that in my life. By the time I took my new position, I was a changed man. I had grown up spiritually and my perspective on my hierarchy of needs – that had changed as well. I have come to truly understand that God is in charge of my time, my possessions my entire life! He is a jealous God who was here before it all started and will be here after it is over. God will  never abandon me because I am His child, bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2. God knows our hearts, and when we need His perspective on our lives, when we need a priority review, He will provide it. In short, the Lord does know when the rent’s due both literally and spiritually. He is the Landlord!

Has it been awhile since you committed your life to Christ? Have you fallen into old habits pulling you away form a relationship with the landlord of your heart? If so, recommit now. the Lord knows when the rent’s due. He also knows when you will turn in your last check. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior, simply pray for Jesus to become Lord of your life admit to your sins before Him and repent (turn away) from them. Jesus doesn’t want your money, there is no way you can fund this rent check. It has already been paid for with the blood of Jesus as He sacrificed Himself on the cross for every sin you and I and the world were guilty of.

Grace and Peace,

LD

*If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, email me at savedIIserve@gmail.com and let me know! I will be happy to lead you through what the bible says about salvation and accepting Jesus Christ as your savior.*