Lest Your Forget

This has happened to us countless times now, yet we always marvel at God's timing...

Once again, we were waiting for a cheque.  We were told it was in the works, but you just never know if they are telling you the whole story.  So we waited and waited.  D-day was yesterday.

So, again, we prayed.  We trusted.  We knew we could do nothing to make it come, but the problem was, for some reason, we've noticed the mail doesn't typically come on Monday, don't know why.  It didn't matter, it still had to come! 

RM, who has been still getting up early, reading, praying, decided to act by faith.  He got his cheque book out and was ready to start writing cheques.  He expected God to work. 

That morning I read in Deuteronomy 3, "Do not fear...."  Then, further on down the chapter, it describes how the Israelites "took all his cities at that time - there was not a city that we did not take from them - sixty cities....All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars....."  God had given this land to the Israelites, though they had to fight for it, but He gave it to them.

What stuck out at me was that these were fortified cities with high walls, gates and bars.  Only God could break down those high walls though they had "devoted themselves to destruction".  Not a happy story in some ways, but the principle I saw was that the Israelites had to play a part.  God didn't just give the land to them.  They had to fight for it.  He fought for them and made the victory possible, but they definitely played a role.

So I started to "devote" myself to prayer....literally all afternoon yesterday.  While the kids played outside, I just sat on the step, or walked around the house praying. I asked God to take down the high wall, the gates, the bars, anything that was a barrier.  I even prayed for the mailwoman!  I wondered if she wasn't coming because she just didn't feel like it!  I prayed she would come!  I find it hard to accept the fact He may not always answer how I want Him to, but I prayed I would accept the fact it wouldn't come.  I also dislike being humbled, but I thanked Him for the fact He keeps us in this humbling position, in this place of dependence.  I went on and on....

But, by 4:30, it seemed she wouldn't come - it was too late in the afternoon and besides, mail doesn't typically come on Monday.  RM and I stood there discussing our options.

Suddenly, our son runs into the kitchen, with the mail!  How could this be?  I didn't even hear the mail truck and I had been listening all day!!!!  He was smiling and holding something that looked "cheque-like"!  Sure enough - there it was, at the 11th hour.....RM had literally minutes before the bank closed and off he went to deposit it, almost getting locked in the bank that's how few seconds he had to spare.

The only way I can explain it is this - He wants our kids to know a very important lesson, one that they must never forget.  It is coincidence that I read this today?  Deuteronomy 4:9,10 puts it this way,

"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.  Make them known to your children and your children's children....so that the may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth and that they may teach their children so."

I think it is as basic as that - God wants not just us, but our children and their children to know " To you it was shown, that you might know the Lord is God; there is no other besides Him." (Deut. 4:35)  We certainly sat in amazement that night after dinner, just thanking God and talking about His provision yet again.  I really think these right-down-to-the-last-minute answers to prayer are completely orchestrated for our children.  We don't know what is ahead for them in life, but we know they will go through some trials and God wants them to remember these faith lessons, "lest you forget the things your eyes have seen."