Lost money, found faith

My husband lost a week’s pay. It must have fallen out of his pocket at the hardware store. He waited a week to tell me because he feared my reaction. My reaction was to pray immediately, telling God that we trust Him with the finances, and thanking Him for the way He always provides for us.

I’m sharing this story not for my glory but for His. First of all, as my husband noted, I wouldn’t have responded that way in the past. It is God’s perfecting in me—working with my consciousness of His faithful track record in my life—that accounts for the difference.

Secondly, I understand that all trial is an opportunity to demonstrate trust in God. In that sense trial is to be welcomed. In that sense James is absolutely right and not being coy when he says to rejoice in trials of various kinds. We can’t trust God unless we have something to trust Him with. That stands to reason. His testings become occasions for blessing:

“Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not” (Exodus 16:4, ESV).

God was sending me a little test in my husband’s disclosure, to see whether I would walk in His law or not. And His law is the law of love God and love your neighbor, which we are told is the sum of the whole law. Moreover, unlike some dyspeptic math teacher out there who gives tests deliberately to make students fail, God always wants us to pass His tests. When we do right in a hard situation, He even credits it to us for righteousness:

“Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit” (Philippians 4:17, ESV).

This is what the Apostle Paul said when the occasion of his financial need became the opportunity for the Philippians’ generosity, and they came through with flying colors.

Then it was my husband’s turn to pray. He thanked God for growing my faith. He also prayed that since the lost money was the fruit of his labors unto the Lord, God would use it somehow to advance His kingdom. Hebrews says that without faith it is impossible to please God. I presume the obverse is truth: With faith it is quite possible to please Him.

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