God loves surprise endings. He delights in unexpected plot twists that leave you saying, “I didn’t see that one coming.” He loves to swoop in at the end of a scene that seems destined to finish badly and pull it out of the fire.
I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced what I’m talking about, but it happens to me all the time. I was in love with Karen when she got engaged to another man. It seemed impossible that she’d break the engagement and fall for me, but she did (read that story here).
We had sold our house in Florida and couldn’t find a place in Georgia. At the last second, we found it.
Then the whole family had to drive to Mexico for the summer. Karen and I and the five kids were living in a borrowed apartment in Matamoros that got broken into twice. What to do? Like refugees, all seven of us moved to a room at our camp and slept on mats on the floor.
When bad stuff happened, we laid down our expectations and flowed with it. God was training us for a lifetime of depending on him.
I was driving a load of wood across the border to Mexico. My lawyer never showed up with the permit. As my heart was beating out of control, God showed up in the form of a border guard who we waved me on through.
It was one of a hundred instances where it seemed my life was going over a cliff and at the last second God reached down from heaven and saved me. And beyond that, while my heart was still beating from fear and my mind still playing slow-motion replays of what could have happened, he seemed to want me to delight in our adventure together.
Yes, he often answers prayer in ways that don’t require us to extend our faith to the limit. But I’ve detected a pattern that is often present where he doesn’t show up until the curtain is about to fall.
And all of us who have trusted God in these extreme ways are left to ask ourselves, “Why does he do that? It would be so much less stressful if he would not wait till the last possible second.”
My best guess is that whatever is in us that thrills to see a surprise, that loves a happy ending, is in God too. I think he’s a hopeless romantic. He loves to be trusted so much that we’ll do anything for him.
It’s Abraham and Isaac on the mountain. It’s Moses before the Red Sea with Pharaoh bearing down. It’s Elijah dramatically calling fire down on the prophets of Baal. It’s Jesus rising from the dead and promising us we’ll do the same.
Too many of us love a jolly old grandfather of a God. If you’re such a person, I long to introduce you to my overwhelming and terrifyingly unpredictable 11th hour God. What a life he has for those who will trust him radically.
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@Jan Baby: Think of the character, endurance, and patience God is teaching you through such longevity of suffering. It is hard in these situations to determine if we are being punished for some wrong doing or prepared for some great adventrue God has in store for us.
Please know that this is said in love, but I would consider your comment “I need him to make an appearance soon”. I have thought this often, but have come to learn that this is an admission of my doubt that God isn’t already providing what I need, which we all know is not the case. We didn’t deserve salvation, yet He gave it to us anyway. We don’t deserve anything beyond that as well, but He continues to bless us continualy.
Remember to praise him for his grace and justice even in the light of your tough circumstances.
You can do it, God does not give us more than we can handle. I am pulling for you and you can add my name to those praying for you.
Maybe our 11th hour is God’s first minute although I doubt he abides by any time table. 🙂 God is Amazing!
I pray for you, Samantha. Stay in faith and know that God is walking with you. Always give God praise even when you are in tough times, for not doing so tells God that He is only worthy of our love when times are “good”. I pray for your peace and to allow God to lead you even when you are scared. I pray that for all of us.
I too have been tired, but I started listening to TD Jakes on YouTube and it has helped me so much. I am not used to that kind of preaching, but it is really growing on me. Also, I find his messages about God to be so comforting and inspiring.
I too have been tired, but I started listening to TD Jakes on YouTube and it has helped me so much. I am not used to that kind of preaching, but it is really growing on me. Also, I find his messages about God to be so comforting and inspiring.
I am praying for you. Be calm and KNOW that God knows what you need and is guiding you.
This is… encouraging? Maybe? It’s all perspective really and depends how I look at it.
I can completely identify with this! I have often wondered why it seems God often waits until the seemingly “last minute” to come through for us. Though I do not have the answers, I do believe He has revealed to me this truth in these moments: He is a God who fights for us. He is a mighty God who longs to save and to come to our rescue. (Ex. 14: 14)And He is also a God that says we cannot please Him without faith. (Heb. 11:6) And if there is one thing that these situations produce, it must to be faith.
Reminds me of a song we used to sing, “He may not come when you want Him, but He’s on time. In times of trouble, I’ve found Him to be a friends of mine.”
AMEN! HA!
This gave me chills. I love it 🙂
I didn’t realize it until tonight, but I’ve been thinking about this the last two days since I read it. I love that about him.
It sounds so wonderful when you write it. But sometimes it feels too painful. I can’t imagine how the Israelites felt with Pharoah bearing down on them and the sea parting. Was the wind so horrific that they didn’t really fathom God was opening the water for them to pass? Do we miss God? Do we romanticize his actions? Or do we just struggle unnecessarily?
I love that my son and wife get to challenge me on this level – challenge my mind and my spirit that is. I think it’s helping me come to a more profound understanding of what God is after in all of us. It’s helping me process this issue this morning.
Barnes – when you get to ‘a more profound understanding…,’ please clue me in !!
I still think ‘not knowing’ is a great part of it . “Peter , do you love me..?” is about what it comes down to .
Home run of a blog Mate – I`ll fight another round .xo A.
I’ve been going through battles and testing for about a year and a half. I keep asking God, “When does this end?”
Just when I think I’m finished, it seems something else happens. I will say this, though…. Through all of this, I’m learning a lesson, namely to put more trust in Him! I was talking with a friend recently and he mentioned that instead of crying, “Why me, Lord” that maybe I should take a more positive note and affirm His promises. I really thought about that one and wondered if that’s why I keep going through the battles? I’m thinking that maybe God wants me to sing and shout praises and affirm His Word to Him for the answer, even when I don’t see it, rather than crying and pleading because I had to wait until the eleventh hour before He came through. I keep telling Him that he made me as I am and He knows I’m the kind of person that needs to know up front….apparently He thinks otherwise!
Jacqueline,
You may want to take a look at this blog post: https://www.sethbarnes.com/?filename=how-do-you-learn-to-trust-god
So many people in life are where you are. There is solace in seeing in the 25 comments on that post that you are not alone.
So if you have faith, there wont be last minute,that means he will not respond?
I dont get it.
He responds just when you give up? So if you do not give up he keeps you waiting?
I get it now,and I will answer my question…
Above all, just seek the Lord. Nothing else should matter.
None of the world stuff should matter.
But God will definitely provide.
But God is a jealous God… Please above all seek him
Amen
I am down to my final hour in my situation that has been going on for over 2.5 years. I need him to make an appearance soon. I have been praying, others have been praying for me – I need a miracle and soon.
Hi there,
I’m currently in a situation where I only have until the 31st of this month for something to happen. The end of the month is this Saturday coming up. Ever since I decided to put this situation in the Lord’s hands, He’s been talking to me about it (at least I believe it was Him. I wouldn’t make any of these things up). He spoke to me about the fruits of the spirit and how there is no law against showing kindness to a person or being kind in general, He spoke to me about when I take matters into my own hands they don’t work out at the time I want them to or the way I want them to but when He steps in to handle them, He works them out perfectly and even in more than what I asked, He spoke to me about how sometimes people won’t understand when the extra effort I into something but in the end the hard work pays off in more ways that one. He spoke to me through Luke 12 that was written about in an email devotional a friend sent me and showed me about how He cares for the details in our lives and the details in the situations we face. He also spoke to me about His character and how, contrary to what I feared and believed, He’s not deceitful, He’s not trying to pull the wool over my eyes, instead He’s loving, kind, and trustworthy.
Then there was this passed week. Every day of this week I was either awoken in the middle of the night, or at 4, 5, or 6 in the morning. Even now I write this as I woke up at 1 in the morning.
One time, I woke up in the middle of the night and as I tossed and turned in stress, I heard loud and clear, “God controls the time”. A day or two afterwards as I was writing about the character of God in my journal when I clearly heard Him ask me, “why are you worried about the timing?… (He said more, but it’s specific to the situation)”. Just yesterday I woke up at 5 in the morning and I began to beg God to rectify my situation when I distinctly heard, “be still and know that I am God”. I was led to write a poem about it and just expressed how I felt. Then, when I went to go look for an article my cousin sent me earlier in the week, the current devotional that the link redirected me to was titled “Stay Clam” and spoke about us being still and letting God do the work in the midst of our troubles. However, following all of this, I had the roughest emotional day since I put it in the Lord’s hands. Instead of being still, it felt like a storm of anger and rage erupted inside of me. I literally cried out in despair the WHOLE day until I was out of breath and my throat hurt. Perhaps because I didn’t listen and fight through the chatter to just be still. Maybe it was the enemy trying to have me throw in the towel and question God. I haven’t thrown in the towel, but I did question God.
It seems like God has been speaking to me about what to think in this situation, I would hope that after all of this He would answer my prayer to some extent. I am nervous about the last minute. It does indeed make me feel anxious. I know the Word says to be anxious about nothing but in everything, through prayer and with thanksgiving, make our requests known to God. Putting the situation in the Lord’s hands was a big leap of faith for me to begin with as I’d been fearing doing so for so long. There’s a small part of me that is excited to see how The Lord is going to bring things together, but for the most part I am overwhelmed with doubt and fear. I know I need to let those go. The clock is ticking and I am getting more and more anxious by the minute. At this point it just seems totally impossible that what I asked for would actually happen. But, maybe that’s exactly where God wants me?
Does He like to keep us guessing??
Kip – I wish I had easy answers. I don’t. A lot of time I think I’m running an errand of his and then it turns out, I got lost somewhere.
This much I know – he wants intimacy. And intimacy runs on a different clock. I wrote some about it:
https://www.sethbarnes.com/?filename=the-balance-between-intimacy-and-urgency
Praying you get your answer.
Did He come through for you? Going through a similar situation now…
I don’t know about Kip, but he is coming through for me in a desperate situation. It is an amazing story that I hope to write about next week.
Hi there!
Seth, thank you for your reply!
@Anastasia, well at the time that I wrote that post I was expecting for Him to turn that situation around by the deadline that id been given by the other person involved- He did not. I was very upset, sure that when He said He controlled the time, He meant the time around that specific date. However, I no longer think thats the case and believe God was looking at the bigger picture of the situation. Oh, He’s controlled the time alright. He’s given me some months to get better prepared for when the situation does turn around. I realize at the time I was asking, I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I thought I needed to be. Things crashed shortly after I wrote my original comment and looked really bleek but now it’s on the up and up. I have yet to see the physical manifestation of His turning the situation around but He’s assured me numerous times that He is indeed working on the situation.
As to what Seth has said about intimacy, indeed you’re right. It has been my recent experience that He wants exactly that. It has taken me a LONG while to come around to accepting and submitting to His desire for intimacy, but I have leaned that He wants me to rely and be totally dependent on Him for this situation and all of my life. It’s been very interesting how He’s been guiding me through this situation. I’m hoping that it turns around soon and, going off of what He has shown me, I hope that I’ll be better prepared for it. Hopefully, when its restored, it will be better than I originally hoped for.
Kip- Amen, sounds similar to me. The “deadline” is supposed to be today but I also feel unprepared. He may extend it or a miracle might happen…either way I praise Him and my desire is to have intimacy with Him.
I have really needed to read that a couple of times. I left my last job on a voluntary redundancy – it was the best move for me really, things were going a bit downhill where I was working, and I prayed God to give me very distinct no’s and yes’ on my next move. Unfortunately with the exception of one job interview I’ve been getting very clear nos. Time passes I guess and you have to reach to God all the time because you are struggling with it. I am sure He has it covered but I have not put Him in charge of my life before 🙂
Louise – I pray that God shows up and does so just in time. It sounds like if you’ve put him in charge of your life, you are poised to receive his blessings.
Thank you I sure hope so, I’ve been trying to work to “Seek first the kingdom of God …” it’s not always easy and I’m often rubbish at it but we will get there 🙂
This is a little late, but it is relevant. I have been stuck working 2 part time contract jobs totalin 70+ hrs a week for low pay and no benefits for about 6 months now. Prior to this I have been stuck working contract jobs for decent pay but no benefits. I have 2 step children with one entering college just this past semester and the other in high school. My wife has Graves disease and severely injured her back long ago. So she suffered from chronic pain, but refuses to take pain killers due to the fact that she was addicted a while ago. I have been struggling to pay bills left and right for years. If it wasn’t for my parents being so helpful, I would have ended up on the street years ago. At one job I have been told for about a year how I would get a raise and fulltime. It finally came time to get my raise and it was 1.50 and benefits didn’t pay for my family at all! I have been worried ever since because my parents are draining their accounts trying to help us and I feel so guilty. I applied at this job that pays well and has benefits, but every time I apply at most jobs I end up not getting it for some reason despite trying my hardest to get it. I was just the other day crying to myself about how I needed this other job, and I was seriously contemplating suicide thinking maybe I was the problem due to years of never being able to properly provide for my family. I literally asked God to please show me a sign that I was doing the right thing because I seriously didn’t have much fight left in me. The next day as I was eating lunch with my wife I got a call back from the job that I applied for. They decided to take me over 3 other people that I know we’re better qualified than me! I say that because I actually work with 2 of the guys as part of my contract work. I was offered exactly enough per week to make my house payments as well. If that’s not a sign that God will always help at the last minute, then I don’t know what is. I have been so worried that I was failing my family and I have been working as much as I physically can weekends 12 hours at nights, and I work weekdays mornings. Sometimes I even worked 12 hours overnight and went straight to an 8 hour job the next morning! I am so happy that God came through for me. I feel like I’m finally able to get my life back together and help my family actually survive.
What a great story! God is good.
Please say a prayer for me…I have been going through major trials the last 4 years…I have been out of work and look to have possibly thrown away a very good career due to an unwanted divorce and not thinking clearly. I just found a possible job opportunity and have an interview with the recruiter haning this position on Monday at 11am. The salary and benefits are exactly what I have always wanted but just don’t want to get my hopes up again…just to get dashed. I struggle with explaining my resume as the last nine months have made what once was a pretty impressive resume look questionable. If I don’t get this job I very well could be facing total financial collapse and with that no opportunity to get another chance in my industry. Thanks so much!!
I’ll pray, Michael.
Dear Seth,
I just wanted to say thank you for your prayers and that God did come through for me. I had been looking for even a role in horticulture, or with an NGO ( I’ve done a couple of stints out with NGOs in Africa) and possibly either reskilling or staying with websites. A friend’s mum recommended me to a horticulturual company, that does landscaping, garden design, and forestry. So I wrote to them, and they said come and see us even though we don’t have a job. I ended up having three interviews in the space of two to three weeks. They then offered me a six month contract which is now becoming permanent.
I am looking after a website project, for a gardening company, that has a very positive attitude towards Christians and likes them being in the company, family type atmosphere, and they support a Christian project ( NGO ) out in Africa. So it appears I have a bit of everything that means something to me 🙂
The offer came just before I went on holiday and stopped me worrying about finances and whether I should settled for just anything whilst I was away. It turns out they had a web project that was failing and they were a bit desperate so I cam along at the right time.
I’ll pray for you Michael too because Jesus says that if two or more should agree in His name then it will happen. 🙂
Thanks Seth 🙂
@ Louise – Praise the Lord! He is so good 🙂
An update for myself…I have experienced God moving at the 11th hour more than once over the past 4 months. Both times concerning a relocation/new job. At the point when my best efforts were spent and I had completely broken down and surrendered to Him, He provided in ways that were completely beyond anything I could hope or ask for. His ways are truly above my ways.
Yes He does! 🙂
I remember once something going a bit pear shaped and I felt this understanding that encapsulated something Jesus was saying to me.
“Will you let Me take over?” (emphasis was on the ‘Me’)
I think it’s something I have to remember to do all the time – I am getting better at it!
That’s great to hear, Louise!
Louise – That’s right! When I was at my darkest moments I would feel Him asking me to trust Him. It’s all about faith and knowing that He takes care of His own!
It takes time and trials before you really get it under your belt that God is “transforming” us in life for our good. Following Him is hard. He takes turns you would NEVER take. But you just have to follow Him there because He’s GOD. Your journey is in a sense with Him alone and you are getting to know HIM. His ways can FEEL scary but in reality they are great great love.
Awesome testimonies really encouraging. Presently I am going through a tough situation. It is draining butt my fears and doubts are beginning to vanish as I trust God; Satan always shooting arrows of doubt and fear.
God talks to me about faith in various ways. At first trying to hear his voice over my emotional thoughts sometimes made me a little weiry. He can be so quiet some nights when you really need to hear something from Him. Then when He starts revealing it adds newness of life and my faith increases. It has taken some time to understand Him. Looking back I’m 98 % better than when I started out some weeks back.
I now know why He says ‘Stand Still’ it was confusing at first but today i’ve learned you have to Stand Still and quiet yourself to hear and understand what God is saying. God does want that intimacy with us and he wants us to trust him to the very end.
God will encourage you and strengthen your heart. He will push you beyond your limits to help you release your faith.
You can rest and be at peace when your faith grows. Your fears and doubts began to vanish. Your trust in God has assurance.
The price we pay for faith takes us down through the valley of darkness but when we come out on the other side we are burden free and happier.
My situation has not materialized in the natural but my faith and hope has increased intensely. Waiting is not so burdensome now.
Nothing is impossible for God. He will come through for you and me. It is a faith walk.
God is faithful everything.
Remember me in your prayer.
Ah! So true! He moves things around at the very tale end… right before it crashes and this has strengthened my faith and love, in and for Him!
I was 5 months pregnant and my unborn child diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease… I was from that point on monitored every week and remember the doctor coming in with his interns every time to examine my unborn child’s kidneys as they grew by the day covered with pockets of fluid filed sacs … this experience drew me closer to God and I will pray and meditate… Visualizing myself infront of Jesus as I begged him to heal my daughter… Well right before I put to birth during one of the weekly visits, their monitor showed no cysts… her kidneys had shrunk to a size appropriate for her gestational age! God came through….
On another occasion, after I separated from her father and was attending nursing school, my mother will help me babysit… he took me to court wanting custody… the case was stack high against me… Case manager referred by the Judge, recommended her dad be granted custody after she never bothered to Skype…visit in person to see where I lived… I lost faith in the judicial system… Again, I turned to my Just God… right before the trial, God sent an angel in the form of a new Judge assigned to the case…. he asked me to take my baby home!!! God is awesome! Please never give up!
I joined the navy… I did not know how to swim… You literally have to teach yourself… and if you can’t do so and pass the swimming qualification test, you get kicked out… Well, I went everyday for what seemed endless trials that were unsuccessful… On my very last day, I prayed and cried… and told Him this was it… How it happened I don’t know… At some point I felt a guard prop my head forward as I demonstrated the floating skill and said “you are doing fine” I still shed tears of joy when I recount these stories…. Please, never give up!
@ Pam – Amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing! 😀
i am in the exact situation kip was in. i have 2wks to the deadline its been a month and a half since God spoke. its a desperate situation pray with me
I can relate to all your experiences so well. He has scooped me up so many times and sometimes I have been so caught up that I did not even realize that I had been lifted out of situations. This is year five of our business venture and although we have not yet gotten our break, my relationship with God has intensified. I have found the faith that I used to speak about but never experienced and even when fearful, I am always able to believe in His mercy and grace. Please pray for us and God’s continued blessings and strength. He knows the plans He has for all of us. He scripted our lives afterall. Blessings to you all for richly blessing me with your testimonies.
He waits until the last minute cause he likes playing games with us. Plus it makes him look heroic and he loves that.
It certainly can feel that way. Thankfully, it didn’t turn out that way for Linda as she just posted above.
Hi everyone
I just wanted to let you know that we had our breakthrough and it is nothing like we had imagined. God rewards the faithful, those willing to grow, to learn and to be groomed for what He desires for one. I treasure every tear, every feeling of despair that made me need God even more and more importantly, I value the time that He took to bring the gift to fruition as I was not ready before. I thank all those who prayed for us and those who testimonies helped to anchor us deeper in God. As we move into this new phase, we are going to need God more than ever before and I continue to request your prayers. I am so grateful.
Great to hear, Linda!
Yes, I experienced that too and it really gets to me as to why He is behaving such way..and at times I do give up. Giving up as in totally seek other help but for some annoying reasons my heart still calls out for Him. It’s tiring actually but reading these stories just bring tears to my eyes. He is playful to the max undoubtedly but I do believe that He only allows certain misfortune events to happen to us only if we can handle it.
Wow… sounds to me like you better listen close for God. Your stories are full of things the bible speaks against
I googled why does God come through in the 11th hour and this blog came up. I have been struggling financially for five years with much support from God, family and friends. Now it has gotten worse again. I have been unemployed for over 5 months. I have never been out of work that long. I have had many interviews and still no job. I guess it will be the 11 th hour before I get a job. Hopefully it will be one that pays enough.
@Ellen
You are not alone. Many like you are trusting God for that much desired eleventh hour miracle. Just imagine Isaac and Abraham and the sword raised high to sacrifice Isaac, just imagine for a moment the invisible hand of God transfixing the hand of Abraham and putting a stop to the death of Isaac. For me, it does not matter the numbers of interviews you have attended, what matters is my belief and faith that he can do it for us no matter what. God shows up when we give up on our own defense and expertise. I am waiting to share your testimony of a God given job that only Him will take the glory. Congratulations….receive your miracle in Jesus Name.
My husband and I been going through a test for a year and half and been through alot two days before we had to out and we been believing the father for own a home to farm we got the home to rent but believe the father will let us buy it but our finances have been going down so much it seem impossible we now down to $2.52 my husband needs to get to work he only makes about 650 every two weeks and there is no time for looking for work so we have been praying for a better paying job we also hope to pay off all our debts we feel we are at the 11th hour and hope to be at the end of our test so we can’t wait to see what the father will do
I love that he shows up at the last second. I wish that it didn’t have to be that way, but I get his strategy – that if he doesn’t wait us out, we’ll hang onto that last shred of control until the end.
Thanks, Gavin for the encouragement.
Hmm!That is true with our heavenly Father God. I remember the last time in 2014 when I was a student at one of the universities in Pretoria, I got married and my wife got pregnant and I had no work and I just wondered how I would fend for my family when I had no source for money to buy nappies, food for both my wife and children. And my wife had to give birth on the 12th of April. On the 09th of March I was called for the interview and end of that very same March I was called to sign the contract,
Seth,
Please pray for me I have been going through trials. Now I have sent my wife to the college and the salary that I am earning is not covering all I have to do. I am an engineer (Electrical) and my passion is to work in one of the mines in South Africa. Please pray for me.
Moeketsi – I’ll pray for you to make the money that you need. God bless you.
Yes, you got it! We are to conform to him not him to conform to us.
You don’t know him, just like your name admits. How sad for you that you miss out on such a wonderful loving, surprising amazing God. Love ya forever Jesus!!!
I googled 11th hour today as God told me in my dream “at 11”. I had a knowing when I finally woke up that God meant the 11th hour and not necessarily a time today.
For more than a year I have been through some major painful tribulations that had me seek God for answers. I couldn’t understand what was happening to me and I wanted to hear Him. And in my desperation for answers God sent me to people who could hear Him and they spoke to me about my life that I never told anyone before let alone strangers. God suddenly became real to me. Supernaturally real. Though I had been a Christian since I was 12, God never felt more real to me til I saw the supernatural–until I saw that God still thought of me and He still speaks to people today.
I claimed Jeremiah 33:3 for God to show me great and mighty things that I don’t know because my mom told me her testimony how God always showed her miracles every time she claimed that verse. Being someone who likes to experiment I did the same thing–lo and behold God came through and showed me things that science cannot explain. My mouth dropped at what was happening. Even though, that was not the answer I was hoping God would tell me as I was waiting for God to heal my marriage, He was saying “I’m showing you something great and mighty, and it’s not time for that yet, but rest assured I am working on it.”
But for a year I couldn’t take the pain of waiting. More trials and tribulations came. I had no job, my money was about to disappear, I was accumulating more debt, was about to have no place to live, my temporary green card about to expire with no husband to back me up for my extension and had the possibility of being kicked out of the country. It all seemed to be crashing on me all at once. The more painful one was my marriage crumbling and my husband leaving me.
I desperately wanted to just quit life and quit my marriage but God wouldn’t let me. He has plans for me bigger than what I was going through. Every week I wanted to quit standing for my marriage and every week God would cheer me on. It was a never ending cycle.
What’s interesting is, my thoughts and doubt for things working out centered on my marriage, while I let go of everything else that was crumbling in my life and left that all to God. I had more faith that everything else would work out in my life than I did my marriage. And that’s exactly what happened–everything worked out! My immigration worked out, God supernaturally paid for my bills (literally, my electric bills for several months was $0 owed), God let me still stay in the same place so I have a home, I suddenly had money that I thought were from bad investments (I lost money years ago and did nothing with it as I thought it was a dud ) only for God to quadruple that bad investment and made it good because I checked one day and saw that I had more money on that investment than I ever put in–which gave me more money in the bank, and I got a job that I never applied for–a job that pays well with all benefits that I don’t have to pay for because my company pays for it, and I am doing projects that are fun and am totally unqualified for–that’s the power of trusting God and letting Him do what He wants to do in your life!
But even with that, here I was weeping every week for a marriage that wasn’t restored. How could I who has seen supernatural things occur in other areas of my life be weeping over the what was happening in the natural? Why did I just not let go and let God do the work on my marriage as I had done the same for the other areas of my life? That’s a big question that I ask myself every day!
But even if I had come to that realization I still wasn’t letting go. God had already promised me through my dreams and strangers who had seen the same things God showed me that my marriage would be restored. But I still didn’t let go. I still was angry at God for not restoring our marriage fast enough. I still thought God as someone who didn’t give good gifts to His children and wanted us to suffer.
But God isn’t like that. We direct our anger towards the wrong person–the culprit is satan. If you look back at your lives you see that God has always been there for you, but His hands are tied if what comes out of your mouth and actions is unbelief, bitterness, resentment, and a lot of complaining.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Proverbs 18:21
I didn’t want to live a life of being chained to unhappiness, unforgiveness, and unbelief anymore. I just wanted to experience joy, peace, love, and mercy. God who had pursued me and waited for me for years to finally do what is right and live the way God would want me to live showed me mercy, love and forgiveness. So why would I not give the same for anyone who has hurt me? I wanted to love the way God loves. I asked for his love lenses. I asked for his forgiveness so I can forgive others. And I woke up a few days ago with so much joy and peace that no matter what happens I know God has got this. This journey with God is more important to me. And I began just enjoying life. And when I began enjoying life, God now ups his way of speaking to me and revealing more to me about my destiny and how I need to prepare my husband’s coming. Just when you let go is when God begins working.
I know some of you may ask what does letting go look like? I had the same struggles and questions. Letting go is when what you’ve been praying for is no longer important as enjoying every day with God because when you keep your eyes on Jesus is when He begins working in the desires of your heart. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Seth, and Friends. . .
i googled when God comes through and this was the first link to show up! I have needed God to hear my cries in the past but not as much as i need him to hear me out now. On the verge of possibly being kicked out of my program if i don’t make the grade on this one exam. it all falls into the hands of one final that i felt really good about but i need an A to make the class and now i am not so sure. This would all be well and good if i could just leave and start over else where but as an international student that has literally spent all her parents money on this one program, this would crash the entire family . . . i have one semester left and God has been faithful through it all. i’ll come back to this post in the next few days to tell you all how it went. i am trying not to worry and asking that his will be done . . .if not for me, then for my parents . .but we’ll see!!
Believing for a miracle, an 11th hour one.
Anita
That’s good, Anita. Let us know how it goes for you!
Well, i still can’t find the words except for Thank you Lord and i bless your name. I made the grade – i’ll never know how. All i know is, i am not going to shame my parents, i am not going to give my parents heart attacks. My heart, my heart, my beating heart.i thank you . . . and Seth, thank you so much for this blog.
Praise the Lord! That’s wonderful, Anita.
If there was ever a time I need prayer it’s now.
Praying with you Micheal…. it is well.
I have been on a journey for almost five years now that has brought me closer to God. I am now at the point of needing that 11th hour gift from Him. I am almost out of money. But what is interesting is that I am feeling God’s love and assurance even more than I ever have. I know that in the natural I should be full of fear (at times I have been way full of it), but I feel almost giddy with happiness because I know that I am going to get to witness God’s perfect plan for me. I have always been a person to have things lined up perfectly as to not be in a financial situation that is bad, but maybe that is how this time God is really getting my attention. I have sent out resumes and been on quite a tight budget, but still there has been no financial relief. But it is all ok because I know that God loves me and all of His children so much. His timing is perfect. I may not understand it, but I trust in Him. He gave me life. He is what is real. So I will stand tall in faith KNOWING that if we love Him and obey Him, He will show us the way and will come to our 11th hour asking. I love You, Father!
This is a wonderful group I have come across. Needing God in my 11th hour. Trusting him to come thru for me in a big way otherwise my home is at risk. Asking for prayer
I am praying for you. God loves all of us so very much. He knows the plan for you. Nothing is a surprise to Him. Trust His guidance and have faith no matter what. God bless you!
Thank you Michelle. I appreciate yr prayers and encouragement. Am holding on to Him- the author and finisher of our faith.
I know this place well. What’s more – I know God’s unfailing Grace even better. Praying with you Edith. It is well.
Thank you Anita.
I’ve read through all of these comments, and NOW, I am amped/excited to release my faith in a greater way. It has been most helpful to hear other faith walks and trials. Thank you everyone who posted.
Little over a year ago my husband and I were looking at friends shead to put our stuff and had know idea where we were going to live we only had 2days to get out when our friend said wait God has a place for you and all it would cost to move in was to mow the 10 acres the home was on we are great full to have a place to live it is not the home we like it dont have enough storage for our stuff so a lot of our stuff is still in boxes and it been a search game to find the things we need and now we have our daughter and her 4 children staying with us it’s been even more of challenge. Now we are having a problem paying our rent with lack of work construction is slow this time of the year. Even though rent is late by almost a week our landlord has not asked for rent yet and I believe the father will come through on rent or he has a place for to move to again what ever is his will is I believe he will come through soon
I have been going through this situation I am in now for so long now. I have tomorrow as my deadline to repay all my debts which i cannot pay as i really do not have anything..I trust in God and standing on His word in Phil 4:19. I have been praying and calling out to Him and i Know He will not let me down nor leave me. I believe He will come through soon on that 11th hour. He owns the silver and the gold. He will provide for me the money tomorrow to repay all my debts in Jesus Name.
I came across this blog when I searched for testimonies of God coming through as I really need my faith boosted. where I am, rent is paid yearly and we’ve been back on our rent 1yr and a month. its been a trying season in our lives. from the first day, it got due, I felt God telling us to be still and watch Him be God, from then on till now, its been same thing. I’ve tried various means to get the money and it never comes through and every time I get back to God, I hear same thing. that we are still in the house its a testimony on its own as it never to my knowledge happened i n our apartment. every time they come for it, they’ll talk quietly and leave like we are not owing.
I’ve been standing on Gods Word that we won’t be confounded or put to shame and I have seen it work in our lives. I am beginning to get worried as we don’t have anywhere else to go or who to turn to but God, and I don’t want to be thrown to the streets. this blog has given me a faith boost afresh. i know God will come through, I am just going to let go and be still, am going to trust that His plans for me are good not of evil, that all things would work together for my good even if they don’t go as I hope for, they’ll be better than I dreamed possible. God is still in the business of miracles, He’s still God.
Comments: Praise the Lord! I I have been going through the same situation most of the you mentioned here. But the Lord is a gracious God. He said ” I will never leave you nor forsake you”
(Hebrews 13:5). I lost my Job on April 4,2015 and the following month, my sister learned that she had a stage 4 ovarian cancer. After she had two chemotherapy and a surgery she is doing well and I had to be there for her full time. She is his servant and he loves so. since then the lord sustains me by his grace. As I write this, I don’t have enough money to pay my next month rent and bills but I know the lord comes through for he did the same thing six months ago. I am not here to ask you to pray for me but pray for me;however,I want to declare that I am a living testament that the Lord is a merciful God.
I cast my care, your care on him. I know he comes through.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
So uplifting to read all these testimonies and how God has come through frow everyone. We’ve been going through a dry season financially as a family for more than two years now but God has kept us safe. There are some days however when I despair and I feel really tired. But I always hold on to God’s promise that He will never leave me nor forsake me. Right now I have debts that are due today and I have to clear my tuition so that I can start my final year of college. There seems to be no way but I’m trusting in Him. Hoping for a miracle.
It is indeed a tragedy of circumstances , My Lord, that my livelihood involves meeting people with unbearable pain. But also, it is my good fortune that you have given me this excellent opportunity to mitigate their suffering. You have cast upon my shoulders this great responsibility and have also given me the power to do it. Please grant me the strength, my God, to enable me to fulfill this task in all earnestness. And yet, all the while, let me have unwavering faith in you and let me not, forget that ultimately it is you, who is the real great healer and the fountainhead of well being and that, I am merely a medium through which benevolence flows. O! My Lord, bestow in my patients thy healing touch.
I sit my boards this week . . i’m nostalgic tonight i suppose. i wanted to come back and read what i had written when i was filled with dread at the prospect of failing out of the program. I still do not know how i made it here, hindsight of course shows God working steps ahead the entire way. I will use my career to honor him Always. The prayer above hangs in the office of possibly Uganda’s only Geriatrics doctor. I love it and by the will of God i will soon have it handing above my own work space.
Believing in God’s promises and hopping i do well on boards. I hope everyone here is doing okay. God bless you all.
Amen
I am coming up on the last hour.
I have been dealing with chronic illness for many years and have been unable to work for about 6 years, now. I have gone to many doctors and only a holistic doctor has been able to find reasons for my ailments. He has been treating me for almost 4 years now and going through so many crazy cycles. At this point, we are battling heavy metal toxicity which is taking its toll on me and is taking longer than expected. I have also taken an extensive blood panel, urine and saliva test that determined I have 3 genetic mutations causing me problems with my body being able to detoxify properly, hormonal imbalance and depression/ anxiety issues that anti-depressants will not help with. In fact, if I take any anti-depressants, I will end up worse and could even attempt suicide, so I have to take some special supplementation on a regular basis to support my system or else it will not function on its own.
The heavy metal toxicity is not associated with these issues, it is separate and it is compromising my immune system.
I have been living with my father and I just turned 49. He has been supplementing my income for the past few years and helping with my medical and life expenses.
In the past few months, he has had some major health issues of his own, one being he was hospitalized for gallbladder infection which also cause some sepsis in his system. This was back in September. He has been recovering from that over time, but then this past month, he came down with shingles, and is still on the mend for that.
He has not retired in all this time, and he is a CPA.
He said he can’t keep up anymore, which I do not blame him one bit, and he is retiring after this tax season is through, but that also means that he won’t be able to help with all the medical expenses.
I am unable to work. Western medicine has not helped me at all after years and years of seeing specialists and the only thing that gives me answers and has been slowly helping me, is this holistic doctor, who is also a chiropractor. He is a strong Christian as well.
Tax season is over in 2 weeks and I have no idea where I am going to get financial help with all of this. I have prayed to the Lord to help me get better for years so I would never be in this situation so I could work. I have no idea how the Lord will provide after the 15th of this month and to be completely honest, I am stressed and scared.
I am praying for you. The one thing I can say is that you must find ANYTHING to be grateful about and allow your love and appreciation for life feed off of that. Even if it is something like having eyesight. Law of Attraction can then help you. But the more you focus on what is happening to you and the fearful possibilities, then the more you will stay stuck. I know it is easier said than done to do this when you are in the thick of it. I was in a position a year ago in which I prayed and prayed for a situation to change, and it didn’t. I ended up living somewhere that I thought would just bring bad results, but it didn’t! Everyone’s situation, story and journey is different. But one thing is true – God loves all of us the same. But He can only help us so much when the sound of fear drowns out His love to us. Find anything to make you smile. You are allowed to laugh and smile even when you are in the thick of it. Find funny movies. Find funny shows to watch. You will be releasing ease and laughter into the world and in turn, you will attract that back. If you stay stuck on all the bad possibilities, you just might make that yucky stuff come true. See yourself smiling and feeling free. Your imagination is so powerful!! If you don’t believe me, then watch movies about Jesus. He did not look at what was and think fearful thoughts. He told his followers and those in need of healing to stand up and be healed. I will say it one more time, you must find anything to be grateful for! Find gratitude that there is love in our world. You can see that in a dog’s eyes. You can see it in the years of a mother’s eyes when her baby is born. You can see it in knowing God loves us unconditionally. You can find in peace in remembering that we are souls having a human experience and that we will be back home one day with our Father. One last thing, you must be an evolved soul that you have chosen to grow this way. Remember your worth and your strength. You are so much more powerful than you remember.
i need God’s help NOW can’t wait any longer Seth
@PAM … WOW Fantastic …loved reading this
@LINDA … Wonderful
@ELLEN … Do tell us the outcome 🙂
I totally identify with this. At the age of 54 I have seen God come through at the 11th hour on many occasions. Recently in the midst of circumstance I have felt a total sense of peace in the situation that seemed IMPOSSIBLE.. We have tried EVERY POSSIBLE avenue available to us and WALLA the last door , opened and Glory and Blessing flowed through into the scenario. My closest friend , my best buddy, my Father God my Daddy (instagram – eaglesview888) Thank you for posting this Seth Barnes, so so appreciated
I am praying for my university to allow me an extension of just 3 days for a deadline, because of genuine reasons. My professor said he cannot help. I know God can do this for me. Please pray!
My submission deadline is 2 days later, but its almost impossible to finish well unless its extended. I have requested for an extension, because the delays are caused from university side for assigning the guide, so I believe its fair to extend deadline for me, but I did not get a reply yet. Please pray!