Isaiah 45:3 “I will give you the treasures of darkness,
riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the LORD,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”

Several years ago the speaker at a missionary women’s retreat used this as her theme passage. Of course I wasn’t a participant, but I did hear about it, and it brought this passage to my active awareness for the first time. Her point was that God uses dark times – depression, difficulties of all sorts – to give us treasures we couldn’t receive otherwise. There is validity to that, but I think the broader message is that God can and does provide for us in totally unexpected ways. He indeed uses circumstances we would not choose to teach us valuable lessons, but beyond that, He has abundance for us that we won’t recognize if we aren’t tuned to Him, to see things as He does. I recall my total panic and despair when we ran out of funds in the middle of building this building, but God used a non-Christian man to suggest time payments to the different companies involved. That turned out to build relationships that are strong to this day. I would have chosen a lump sum provision, but God knew that spacing it out would provide more total benefit. Provision is never a problem for God, whether it be financial, emotional, spiritual, or whatever, but we fail to receive not only because of wrong motives, (James 4:3) but because we can’t imagine that God would provide whatever it is in that particular way.

This is a lesson I’ve been learning over many years, and I’m not through learning it! I need to listen to what God says through me to others, because I often pray with people to be able to recognize and apply the lessons God is wanting to teach them through their circumstances. Unexpected blessings are always nice, but I think God wants us to expect blessings and be on the lookout for them, to give Him the thanks and praise He deserves. (John 1:16) God wants me to practice gratefulness and teach others to do likewise. The more I learn to give thanks for everything, the better I will recognize the riches of all sorts that God is pouring out on me.

Father, thank You again for Your incredible patience with me. I have been so slow to learn! Thank You for Your presence and guidance in the service yesterday, and in the board meeting that followed. Thank You for how You are working in each individual, and in the church as a whole. Thank You for Your plans for us, and how You are moving us along in that, even though we experience some bumps and scrapes along the way. Help us all continue to grow in fixing our eyes on Christ, so that everything else will fall into perspective and we will be able to rest, relax, and rejoice in You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!