Riding the wave of provision

God has blessed me abundantly this week -- first with the beautiful dream about my Grandma and then in an unexpected way today.  In many ways, I feel like I am just surfing down a wave from heaven's floodgate!

Last week we purchased a central vacuum cleaner for the price of $903.99 -- an expensive, but necessary, item in a new house where drywall dust is still abundant.  It makes the end of the month reconciling of finances a bit difficult -- but such is the case when you move: there are alot of unexpected costs.

Today, I received an email from the venue where my wife and I had our wedding reception and they informed us that they had a credit on our account and that they will be issuing us a cheque on Monday.  The amount of the cheque? $903.46.

Anybody that tries to tell me that this was just a convenient coincidence is simply wrong.  The reality is that God has - once again - demonstrated how much He enjoys providing to His children as a reward for our faith and to demonstrate His love to us.  I believe He sees that we are being faithful to Him not only in prayer, in spending time in His Word and in praising His name, but also through the act of giving back to God through our financial offerings.

Each Sunday my wife and I tithe -- we give a flat amount every week and then the difference on the last Sunday of every month to ensure we give back a total of 10% of our income faithfully to God each month.  We look forward to the day when we can give more to God than 10% but for now, we are blessed enough to be able to give Him what He asks for.

However, today the verses from Malachi 3:10 came to my mind as I realized God had re-filled our bank account by giving us, essentially, our vacuum cleaner for free: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it".

Today He demonstrated just how much He loves to throw open the floodgates.  For a doubting world, here is yet another story of a profoundly loving God who ALWAYS keeps His Word.

What has God provided you this week? How has He opened the floodgates of heaven on you? Are you riding a wave of His provision or are you standing on the beach, hoping for a wave, not realizing that you have to sometimes put your surfboard (i.e. your faith) in the water in order to catch that wave?

Take it from me - be faithful to God, in every way, and stand back and watch the blessings flow... sometimes when you least expect it... and then enjoy the feeling of riding that wave all the way to the beach!