Besides renting the home in which most of the workers lived, my brother
rented for a year a house to serve as a home for workers in the slum
district, paying a monthly rental of $60. As my brother was ignorant of
what he was getting into, the Lord seemed to humor him for two or three
months by providing the money for the rent of this building. Then my
brother got into trouble. He prayed earnestly for money to pay the rent on
this building, but his prayers would not go through. Heaven seemed closed
against him. After making several efforts in this way, for a while without
avail, my brother said that if he could not get his prayers through for
money to pay the rent, he would pray that God would make the landlord
willing to give up the lease. His prayers were heard, the landlord
surrendered the lease, and George got out of his difficulty. Subsequent
events showed that the Lord was willing to provide money for us in
abundance as long as we acted in accordance with his divine plan for us.
In consideration of the facts that we paid our $40 a month for rent on our
home and meeting-place, and that we enjoyed but limited privileges in
holding meetings, my brother felt impressed before the five years were out
that the Lord wanted us to build a home which should be permanent and which
should be the property of the church. The work was begun in March, 1903,
and by the blessing of God and the cooperation of the church in general,
the home and chapel were both finished by Christmas. The greater part of
the work was donated, one experienced carpenter giving over $600 worth of
labor.
Our work in the city was a school of trust. We trusted the Lord for food,
for raiment, for rent, and for everything else that we needed. Sometimes
when I would have a little money laid by, an opportunity would come to use
it, and I would think,
"I don't want to give this up, for I may need it later." Then the voice of
the Spirit would say to me, "If you don't keep your purse open and use the
means you have, God will not supply you." I obeyed God, and he never
allowed me to be confounded. Many times when we did not have sufficient
food for the whole day, we would get down and ask God to send either money
or food. It was marvelous how our prayers were answered, and that from
sources from which we should have least expected help. The Lord wonderfully
encouraged our hearts in this way.
When we were building the home and chapel, a number of the workers felt led
to purpose a certain sum to be paid in a year's time. The first year my
purpose was $100, to be paid before December 31. I got just enough to
finish paying it December 30. The workers were all encouraged in like
manner. The next year some of them suggested that, as God had helped them
through so marvelously the first year, we should purpose twice as much. I
received sufficient money to pay the $200 by Thanksgiving, a month sooner
than I had paid the $100 the year before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account