Encouragement

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GAS MONEY

Philippians 4.19: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

One Friday morning, I was supposed to go to a nearby nursing home to hold a service. I had been experiencing a particularly rough series of "testings" of my faith, and I was a little discouraged. I wondered how I could go preach when my circumstances were desperate. I knew that I had barely enough gas in my old Pontiac to get to the nursing home, and I had no money to buy food, let alone gas. So, I was particularly exasperated.

I said, "Lord, I'm just not going. No one appreciates what I do, and here I am preaching your word and broke as a broken door knob. On top of that, everything else is falling apart and you are supposed to help me. I'm just going to go get on that old tractor and mow. I'll forget about preaching."

I hadn't drove that tractor twenty feet, and suddenly fire shot out from the carburetor, and the tractor stopped. I said, "Okay Lord, I get the message. I'll go preach."

Someone had given me a citizens band radio, and I was thinking that after the nursing home service, I could go by the pawn shop and maybe get five or 10 dollars for it. That would be enough to buy gas to get back home.

I got dressed in one of my second hand suits, and drove on over to the nursing home. There at the door to greet me was Brother Dixon. As soon as he saw me, his face lit up, and he reached for my Bible. That was his job, to carry my Bible in his lap as I rolled his wheelchair to the small chapel. As soon as we begin singing, "Amazing Grace", the presence of the Lord filled that little chapel. The Lord gave me a message of encouragement and hope, and as the "Praise the Lords" and "Amens" rang out from those old raspy throats, and as feeble hands were raised up to heaven, I knew, that despite all the opposition of the enemy, I had won the victory and the Lord was pleased.

After the service, I drove the two miles to the pawn shop. In front of the shop, my old Pontiac spit, sputtered. and came to a halt. I was out of gas. I took the citizens band radio in the pawn shop. The pawnbroker took a look, and said, "I've got plenty of CBs, I don't need another one."

With crushed hopes, I walked out of the shop and onto the sidewalk. A middle aged woman came up to me and said, "I don't know why, but God just told me to give you five dollars." With a grateful heart and rejoicing in my spirit, I took this precious gift from God. Gas money to get back home! God made a way!

As tears came to my eyes, I thanked her and walked to the nearby gas station, borrowed their gas can, and bought the gas to make it back home.

The next day, I sold the CB radio for twenty dollars.

Hebrews 11.1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Footnote. This happened in 1988, and I am still preaching at that same nursing home. All of those at that 1988 service are no longer there, but new ones are. Brother Daryl now waits for me at the door, and carries my Bible in his lap as Brother Dixon used to do. The Lord has also brought me a mighty long way, and blessed me to have a good vehicle. I suppose that over the years, I have traveled thousands of miles to that nursing home, and since that one time, I have never again ran out of gas.

Copyright 2005, Irvin L. Rozier

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