Craig Clouston

Dedicated to my parents: Rev. John & Nell Clouston. 

This event happened to them early in their ministry.

I Trust You

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

They had paid what they could; yet four hundred fifty dollars of debt remained. As their son secretly listened, they lifted this need together before the Lord. The next evening, the pastor and his family headed for the small country church where he’d been filling in during the last month. He’d been preaching there on Sunday evenings so he could preach at his own three-church circuit on Sunday mornings.
Following the service, one of the elders pulled the pastor aside, handing him an envelope, “We collected a love offering before you came tonight. It’s not much, but we’d like you to have it. We sure appreciate your filling in while Pastor Johnson was gone.” As the pastor stood at the back of the church saying goodnight to people as they left, a grizzled old man with a gruff voice and a sharp wit approached. He shook the pastor’s hand and winked, pressing something into it, saying, “Young man, you’re a blessing, but I won’t tell anyone if you don’t!”
Opening the envelope upon returning home, the young couple found $449.50. It was then the pastor remembered the old man’s handshake. Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a fifty-cent piece, bringing the total to four hundred fifty dollars.

†

Trusting God for everything comes by experience. It’s not automatic, and it requires development. Retrospect causes us to shake our heads, wondering how we could have ever doubted.
The young pastor and his wife would live to experience many more blessings in ways they couldn’t quite comprehend. That’s how a big God does things—in little, intimate ways. We remember it when He stoops low enough that we feel His breath on our face. That’s when we learn about faith and trust. The God who moves mountains moves people to action and, in turn, moves us to trust Him. Divine moments are just that—divine. Learning to recognize them as such comes with experience.

Prayer

“Precious Father, teach me to trust You for everything in my life. Help me to know the difference between wants and needs and use me to help You meet those needs in others’ lives. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”