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We knew when God leads, we had nothing to fear.
My wife and I were shocked when our landlords delivered the news. When we initially rented from them, they assured us they wanted long-term tenants. Our unit and a neighbor’s would provide retirement income for them. We welcomed the news. After all, we wanted long-term landlords. We were tired of moving and wanted to settle into the same place until I retired . . . and died.
But when the time came to renew our lease, we got bad instead of good news. One, they planned to increase our rent by $250, and two, they planned to sell the unit if we couldn’t afford the rent—and maybe even if we could.
In our state of uncertainty, my wife and I looked for a place to stay. A home became available beside my mom and stepdad, which was perfect since neither could drive, and we cared for them. But we couldn’t afford the rent.
Months passed as our uncertain deadline loomed. Would we still have a place to stay at the end of the year? We didn’t know. Then, out of the blue, the owners of the home beside my parents texted, saying they would rent to us for what our current rent would be—and we could keep our fur babies. We jumped at the offer.
Our neighbor and good friend received the same unfortunate news as we had, putting her in a predicament. She was already retired and only had Social Security to live on. We felt sorry for her. My wife helped her look for a new place, and within a week, our neighbor had located a new condo near our new rental home—one with more affordable rent.
Both of us knew God had gone before us. We trusted Him to mend our situation, and He did—just as He had for the Children of Israel.
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT).
For four hundred years, God’s people struggled in Egyptian slavery, but God delivered them, went before them, and brought them into the Promised Land.
God will do the same for all his children. He knows our needs and can see the future we haven’t lived in yet. He has plans for us, and they are good. He will even take the not-so-good stuff and work it for our good and His glory.
We didn’t fear our future or worry about where we would live. God tells us not to be anxious and not to worry about tomorrow. And experience teaches us He is faithful to His promises.
We love our current home. We have more space inside and a large backyard where our grandboys can play. When God leads, He will always take us to a spacious place where the waters of life run peacefully—just like the winding creek that prances behind our backyard fence.
How can you learn to always depend on God’s leading?
Martin Wiles
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