Marching Orders #1023... "We are Just Fine... (Knowing His Word... Shoes Story)

LET THE

SONSHINE

..."Your eyes light up your inward being.

A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul."

Luke 11:34a

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Whitehouse, TX 75791

We Are Just Fine...(Knowing His Word..Shoes Story)

"How are you?"

People would often greet me and say something like this, "Why, hello Marlene, how are you?" And before I could answer...and tell them how the blisters I had all over my arms was caused from pulling down the cute twine from the pine trees, that I thought I'd use for a craft, and then found out that it was poison ivy winding up the trees..they had already moved on to another topic... They REALLY didn't care how I was. They expected me to reply, "Oh, I'm just fine." A true friend suffers through our miseries with us and will still be our friend long afterwards, because they genuinely care. We have such a friend in Jesus. I'm so glad that when He asks how we are that He really cares, and that He is more than ready to listen to us. And not only listen, but is ready to meet our every need when we take the time to seriously talk to Him about it.

One time when I was earnestly praying for some new clothing, I remember saying something like this... "Lord, You know how the flowers don't have to spin clothes and they are dressed so very beautifully, and You know how the birds don't have to farm for food, or something like that...You know what you said You will do in Matthew 6 or 7 for me because I'm more valuable than flowers and birds... don't You Lord? Well, I need some new clothes, etc. .....etc." I will NEVER forget His reply..."Yes, Marlene, I know what I said about that, but YOU don't." I clearly understood what He was telling me though...Don't quote to God what He has said He will do for you unless you know what He has promised. How can you truly believe something you only know half heartedly? And, remember how satan tried to tempt Jesus by quoting the Word pretty close, but not exact, and out of context?

If I were asked why I thought many prayers go unanswered, I would have to say that most of the time we are not sure of what God has said about giving us what we have asked for. Let me give you an example.

One time we were doing a Kids' Crusade for our long time friend, Dr. Billy Coffman, when he was in Moore, Oklahoma. Steve had turned the water connection off to our fifth wheel travel trailer while he was working on it, and on our way in to minister that night, he turned it back on. Three hours later when we went back to the trailer we found that it had totally flooded. Seems that our daughter had tried the bathroom faucet for water and when none came out she just left it turned on. The real problem was that all the water drained into the toilet holding tank...and that was what was all over the floor and in all the shoes on the closet floor. We were each left with one pair of shoes that didn't smell like sewage...the pair we had on our feet.

As it often was with us, as traveling evangelists back then, we had about twenty dollars, and I had to have some flat casual shoes, so we inquired as where a "reasonably priced" shoe store might be. Mrs. Coffman said, "Oh, let's go to the warehouse. One of our people own it." The next morning before we left, I armed myself with some Scriptures. I quoted this to the Lord, as I prayed to be able to buy at least a pair of shoes for me and our daughter with the twenty dollars we had..

Deuteronomy 29:5 "During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, NOR DID THE SANDALS ON YOUR FEET." (EMPHASIS MINE)

I also quoted to the Lord that He is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), and if He did that for the Israelites for FORTY YEARS, I knew He would at least get us another pair of shoes.

As we walked through the huge warehouse and I searched for two really cheap pairs of shoes, the pastor's wife and her friend walked along, and chatted, pushing shopping carts. Occasionally one or the other would say, "Don't you think these are nice?" I'd try to see the price before commenting, but usually just faintly answered, "Oh, yes, they are fine." Finally I was ready to check out. As we were getting into the church van a young boy started carrying out boxes and boxes of shoes. I had no idea that they were shoes for US ... nearly $2,500 worth of every style shoe imaginable, for each of us, that the store owner gave to us. Every pair I had commented on, and every pair they saw me look at the price tag and put back, they had placed in their shopping carts for me. Our "sandals" did not wear out for a long time. God did exactly what He said He would do!

Knowing God's Word and trusting Him to perform it is one of the most rewarding, richest experiences that life can offer us. When we talk to God, we need to be honest with Him, tell Him exactly how we are, what we have need of... He won't move on to another topic before listening to our every desire and every need. And when we have studied His Word, we will know what to ask for that is within His will, and we will receive what we ask for when we pray.

I John 5:14,15

"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask ANY THING according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, WE KNOW that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." (emphasis mine)

Bottom line:

1. Know what His Word says He will do and ask accordingly.

2. Believe that He is listening to you when you pray about it.

3. Expect God to act.

And by the way, Matthew 6:26 and 6:28-30 (L/B), says this about the birds and flowers:

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon is all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

Thank you Lord, thank you for Your precious Word, Your wonderful promises to us, Your children. Thank you that we can say, "Yes, Lord, we are just fine! We are going to be just fine because You love me." We can say this because of Your mercy and tender care, AND because we know that You will never leave us. We can say this because there is no good thing that You withhold from the righteous, and You have said in I Timothy 6:17 that the living God giveth us richly all things to enjoy. Praise You that You are so mindful of our every need, of our every desire, in Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen

In Him and He in Me,

Marlene \o/

MARCHING ORDERS #1023

Marching orders are compiled from paraphrased verses out of the Living Bible.

No commentary is added...they are the pure Word of God.

"As Christ's soldier do not let yourself become tied up in worldly affairs, for then you cannot satisfy the one who enlisted you in his army." II Timothy 2:4 L/B

Real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.

It is better to have little and be godly than to own an evil man's wealth.

Better a little with reverence for God, than great treasure and trouble with it.

Do you want to be truly rich? You already are if you are happy and good. We should be well satisfied without money if we have enough food and clothing.

Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs! For if I grow rich, I may become content without God. And if I am too poor, I may steal, and thus insult God's holy name.

Give us our food again today, as usual.

Don't worry about things: food, drink, and clothes. For you already have life and a body.

When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you were without money, duffle bag, or extra clothing, how did you get along? "Fine," they replied.

Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said "I will never, never fail you nor forsake you."

(Living Bible)

Luke 12:15.

Ps. 37:16. - Prov. 15:16. - I Tim. 6:6, 8.

Prov. 30:8-9. - Matt. 6:11.

Matt. 6:25. - Luke 22:35. - Heb. 13:5.

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