God Blessed Lives
GOD BLESSED LIVES
Introduction
Expressing the depth of God’s blessing over the past forty five years is like trying to explain colours to a blind man. Words don’t hack it. But I know for certain that if anyone is bold enough to entrust their life to the Lord Jesus Christ then He will show them colours!
Brief Resume
I gave my life to the Lord Jesus when I was nine. It was a simple prayer “Lord Jesus please come into my heart”. He did! Since then life has given the appearance of “normality”. I grew up, left home, got educated, was married, had children, bought a house, and held a job as a teacher. I now have grandchildren, and am still teaching. But in reality there have been some very significant non-normal occurrences amongst it all. Here is an attempt to categorize some of those blessings.
1. Spiritual
a. In my late teens I suffered inner turmoil caused by a relationship that had ended unhappily. Two years later I prayed for God’s help to deal with the issue. In response he filled me with the Holy Spirit (lots of people were experiencing this at that point in time, but I had no idea what it was all about.) The inner peace and tranquility was unbelievable, and it went on and on.
b. One evening in my early twenties, very firmly, almost audibly, the Lord told me whom to marry. I wasn’t expecting it and wasn’t even contemplating marriage. I have not experienced anything quite like it since. I proposed, and we were married within six months. It has been a satisfying union for over 30 years.
c. Several years into married life I was walking home alone late one night. I had recently been reading about spiritual bondages. Expecting no response I audibly commanded (in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ) any bondage within me to name itself. This “thing” gripped my throat and spoke one word. To say I was surprised is an understatement. I commanded it to leave me (in Jesus’ name again) and immediately had a fit of coughing. After things settled I sat in the dark and wondered cynically “Will that make any difference at all?” But it became very apparent over the next few weeks that it did, to the point where my wife wanted to know what had brought about the positive change.
d. During my 50th year I spent an extended time asking the Lord Jesus to continue being a part of my life. Two things crystallized in those months:
i. I was as depraved a sinner as any man, and totally devoid of innate goodness.
ii. The Lord Jesus would still have suffered and died even if I was the only person who ever responded to the good news of salvation.
When ever I have tried to share those two things I have wept over God’s grace to me throughout my life.
2. Relationships
a. I have been married for over 30 years. I am convinced that it is the Lord’s blessing that keeps us stable. We are both determined and strong willed individuals, yet we have learnt to love and care for each other in a Christian manner. We do NOT agree on everything, and have quite different points of view on many issues. We have learnt to lovingly accept our differences.
a. My wife and I have five children. Three of them continue to live at home. As a household of five adults we live in harmony. There is very rarely any strife between us, and irritations are dealt with constructively. This is all due to a practical outworking of God’s love in our lives. We also enjoy a loving closeness with out two older, married children.
3. Family
a. In my mid twenties two psalms leapt out and grabbed me. In a way I do not understand the Lord gave me a profound promise of more children. We already had two. It seemed impossible at the time, and I simply stored it in my heart. It took seven years to come about, and a further four years till completion – we had three more sons by then. And when I revisited those psalms the promise was specifically for sons; I am still amazed at how God does such things for individuals.
b. My daughter recently sent me an email. She wrote “I happened to read this and thought of you” – it was one of those particular psalms (mentioned in the previous paragraph). She did not know the significance of that psalm in my life, and was amazed when I told her. Together we acknowledged how truly amazing God is at blessing us.
c. Our children continue to be a source of joy to us. Each one is attempting to follow the Lord Jesus as they live as adults. The two older ones are in stable marriages with Christian partners, and we now have four grandchildren. We are young enough to enjoy it all – especially as we currently live in the same city.
4. Tranquil living
a. It is hard to describe how following Jesus makes for inner tranquility. The simplicity of knowing that whatever transpires He is in control takes a huge amount of worry out of life. In 1995 I was appointed to a job in the tropical South Pacific. Everything fell into place – our house sold; we had somewhere to store our furniture (for free); we were able to settle all our affairs in New Zealand; all travel arrangements (for a family of five) fell into place; etc.
b. When the first job closed after two years another opened in a different pacific nation. Again the transfer went smoothly, and we spent six years working there. The experience of living and working in that nation is hard to describe – it really was a delight to be there. I had a great job, we had a very picturesque setting to live (albeit in very basic accommodation); and we spent many lovely hours enjoying the sun, surf and sand of a coral tropical island.
When it became obvious that we needed to return to New Zealand (for tertiary educational opportunities for our younger sons) everything again fell into place – our car sold (usually this was hard to achieve); our transfers went well; all loose ends were dealt with. Then the most amazing timing occurred when it came to purchasing our present house – we had a two week window in time to purchase in a new subdivision, and we ‘just happened’ to be in the right place at the right time to buy. Those “co-incidences” keep happening in my life – and I am always amazed at how the Lord works them out.
Similarly, I happened to find employment within walking distance of home. That is very rare in a city. It has developed into a highly satisfying job in a great school. And my wife found a startlingly good job within twenty minutes drive. Life is both exciting and very easy to live when such provision continues at hand,
5. Material
a. My wife and I have always been blessed with enough to live on and support a family. We chose to live on one income so that my wife was home while the children were young. This lasted for decades. Yet even when we were supporting three kiddies at home and two older children in tertiary education we were able to make ends meet. During such times we learnt frugality, but never experienced poverty. We always had a house, clothing, a vehicle, and enough to eat.
b. My wife and I hold everything in common. We trust each other implicitly, which brings tremendous peace into the relationship. We learnt early in life not to argue over money. We have an absolute agreement that every major decision (including expenditure) will only proceed if we both agree to it. This practical outworking of God’s grace engenders tremendous trust in each other.
c. I can trust my children with my vehicle and my credit card. They have ready access to both, but only use them when necessary. The trust extends to many other areas in life, for example drinking and driving – I know that my family will not drink and drive, and won’t travel with someone who is – they will use positive strategies to remain safe.
d. Debt management is easy. I don’t use debt, except to buy a house. I have a credit card for my daily purchases, and it is paid off every month. If I don’t have the money, then the Lord Jesus does not want me to have the item. This simple approach brings tremendous freedom. As a part of this liberty my wife and I have a budget for major household expenses and disposable income, so we can tell what money is available for spending.
e. I actively try not to hold a grudge against anyone. I choose to forgive anyone who wrongs me, and at times have written off monetary debts. The result is a worry free existence. This is a direct result of living for the Lord Jesus.
Conclusion
The blessings I have known may seem unique, yet they are readily available to anyone who trusts their life to the Lord Jesus. He is supreme at tailoring amazing things to suit the individual. Given the opportunity to live my life again I would not choose any other way. Seen in context my life is similar to many others – I work hard to make ends meet, and the day to day struggles I face are universal. But throughout it all the Lord Jesus has been my loving guide. His care for me has been the experience of a lifetime.
David Whyte – New Zealand
