The year was 1973, and I was honored to receive an invitation to speak at the annual Mid-Winter Camp meeting, a gathering of Assembly of God Churches, in the Imperial Valley of Southern California.
It was ten nights of refreshing worship and fellowship with Pastors and several hundred wonderful people of that agricultural valley, neighboring the border of Mexico.
A couple of days before the end of the celebration, I was relaxing in my motel room, when I heard a knock on the door. Opening the door, I was greeted by Pastor Bill Brewer, a dear man, who was an important part of organizing and directing the camp meeting.
I welcomed him in , and after visiting a few minutes, Brother Brewer, thanked me for my ministry, had prayer with me, and as he left, handed me an envelope containing a honorarium check.
Shortly after he left my room, I was startled as I opened the envelope and saw it was in the amount of $3,500. I was humbled and most grateful for the generosity of God’s People. It was far more than I expected!
After the final service, I made my way back to our home in Colorado, excited to show my wife, Darlene, the check I received. When she saw the amount, she asked, “Did you rob a bank?” I assured her I had not, and after putting the money in the bank, we together , thanked God for His blessing.
Ironically, just a few days after arriving home, I received a call from the Church Board of Norwalk Assembly of God Church, in Norwalk, California, advising me, we had been selected to serve as their new Pastor.
After accepting their invitation, I suddenly realized, the move from Colorado to California, would cost an undetermined amount of money, probably, beyond our financial resources.
Nevertheless, I anxiously called the moving company, United Van Lines, asking them to send a representative to our home and give us an estimate of the cost for making the move.
After looking over our furniture and household goods, the gentleman told me, the total cost would be, $3,500, exactly the amount I had received as an honorarium from my speaking engagement just days before!
I was nearly overcome with emotion as, the words from Scripture flowed through my mind, reminding me, “Your Father knoweth what what things ye have need of. Before ye ask Him,” (Matthew 6:8).
Receiving the miracle of God’s provision for my family and I, before we even knew we needed it, my faith was made exponentially stronger.
I was personally able to encourage others, over decades of ministry to, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths,”(Proverbs 3;5-6).
Remembering, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things God hath prepared for them that love Him,” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
I pause today, to remind you, “My God shall provide all your needs according to His riches in glory” (Philippians4:9).
As I handed my check to the representative of United Van Lines for moving expense, I told him, you are witness to a miracle. You are holding in your hand, money from the Hand of God!”
The Shepherd's Staff 