By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
I just love it when God steps into a situation and lets you know it was undeniably Him working all things together for your good. I call it the providence of God.
My husband I winter in Florida now that he is retired. Since we have only one car here, we do almost everything together. This might drive some couples crazy, but not us. We are making up for lost time since Gerry’s job had him traveling so much.
On the day that I needed to see my chiropractor, go to the bank, and pick up a few items at Walmart, Gerry joined me. When he started the car in our garage, he noticed something didn’t sound quite right. Where we live in Florida, everything is super close, just a few miles away. As we were leaving the chiropractor, my husband noticed the sound again, and by the time we came back out of the bank, he finally said something to me about it.
“Rae Lynn, I think our car battery needs to be replaced. It’s almost six years old and something doesn’t sound right.” Realizing the situation was serious (as we only have one car here) he said, “When we go to Walmart, let’s go to the service center and get the battery replaced first. Not wanting to get stuck when the battery breathed its last, I was in total agreement.
Gerry had a nudging from the Lord about the battery even before we left Indiana and made a mental note to switch it out soon. As time went on, the nudge grew stronger.
Ironically, I think the Lord was even trying to get my attention about the battery. Two days earlier, I noticed a car in the middle of a busy street getting a battery-jump. I thought for a split second; I hope that never happens to us. Another Holy Spirit nudging.
When we entered the Walmart parking lot, we asked an employee collecting carts how to get to the service center. He directed us around the back of the building. When we pulled up to the service center, Gerry put the car in park, got out, and checked to see if they could fit us in. The manager said they had a few cars ahead of us and that it would be a 90-minute wait. He then told us to park in front of the far-right service bay. When we got there, out of habit, Gerry turned off the engine. The manager removed the chain blocking the bay and instructed us to pull inside. Gerry pushed the start button, but all we heard was “click.”
The battery was completely dead.
The manager chuckled and said, “Looks like you got every drop of juice from that battery. And it looks like you won’t have to wait. Since you’re blocking our bay, we’ll have to change it out right away.”
Not only did we not have to wait. We were out of there in record time. The guy changed the battery in less than five minutes!
We couldn’t believe it. The battery had died… right there… in front of the service center. And we didn’t even have to wait.
Some might call it luck, others coincidence, but not us. We recognized it for what it was—the providence and provision of God. All the way home, we kept thanking God for taking care of us.
Looking back, the Holy Spirit kept nudging us to get a new battery. But we kept procrastinating. Instead of allowing us to get what we deserved for our procrastination, God showed us grace. And He made sure we had what we needed at exactly the right time. Thankfully, God doesn’t procrastinate. He’s always on time.
Friends, this is the God I’ve come to know, a God who saves us. A God who is slow to anger. A God who is full of compassion. And a God who is always eager to help.
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it'” (Isaiah 30:21).
“But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15).
“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isaiah 58:11).
“Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant” (2 Samuel 7:28).
God, you are so good to us! Your continued grace, guidance, and goodness fill me awe and wonder. I trust you more every day. Thank you for taking good care of us and for that timely lesson. Remind us to act more swiftly when we sense your Holy Spirit’s nudging. Thank you for being such a faithful Father. Amen.
Looking for a way to connect with God daily? Check out our daily devotional books: Living in Truth Day by Day *** Living in Truth Mind, Body, Spirit ***