God Knows What You Need

Earlier this week I heard a minister share a powerful story that brought me to tears. Nearly twenty years ago, evangelist Jane Lowder of Calvary Campground was ministering in West Virginia. A pastor approached Sister Jane saying he felt led by the Lord to give her a puppy. She didn’t want a dog and several times refused the pastor’s offer. 

A few weeks later, this pastor called Sister Jane to again offer a puppy. When Jane prayed about that, the Lord told her “walls would fall” if she received the puppy. Then she recalled an incident that happened when she was a teenager. Growing up on a farm, Jane’s family had a dog that her father wanted to kill because it was “sucking eggs.” Jane offered to kill it herself. After doing so, she vowed never again to own an animal. That caused walls to go up in her heart that needed to come down for her to be a more effective minister.

Sister Jane’s story reminded me of something that happened in 2003. My friend John and I were on our way to a Benny Hinn meeting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At a rest area, a stranger suddenly handed me a puppy and then drove away. I thought this little critter was cute (and even considered naming him “Bucky”) but didn’t see any practical reason for owning a dog. As a traveling missionary living out of a suitcase, I had no permanent home where the puppy could reside. Although John believed the puppy was a gift from God, I was in a hurry to get rid of it. Eventually, the puppy was dropped off at a nearby animal hospital.

I’ve heard testimonies of Christians who found a spouse even though they weren’t looking for one. So if God wants to bring someone or something into your life that you didn’t ask for, receive it joyfully. It will fulfill a need you may not recognize at the time. 

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19