Years ago, I heard someone say, "God has more than a million ways to meet your need." I thought about this word of encouragement recently when I needed healing, and the medicine that my doctor prescribed for me did me no good at all. In the past, I might have gotten depressed and thought that I had to learn to live with my ailment. But now I know that I can continue to trust God for my healing, and to believe that if He didn't use one means of making me well, He would use another.

Too often, we get these preconceived ideas of how the Lord is going to meet our needs. We might have a financial need, and we will automatically start trying to imagine where the provision is going to come from. We begin to focus on our job, or a job we desire. Or we may focus on a certain person who we think might be able to help. The problem with this kind of thinking is that if things don't work out the way we believe they should, we can become filled with doubt, and fear takes over. Then our faith doesn't work, and we can miss out on the provision that God had planned for us all along.

A few years back, my 22-year-old car began stalling on a regular basis, sometimes in the middle of major intersections. My husband, Joe, seemed unfazed by it, because he said that we just couldn't afford to replace it. I pleaded with the Lord day and night for a solution. Then one day, Joe offered me his almost-new car, and he insisted on driving my old vehicle to work every day. I was stunned, and I was sure that God must have put the idea in my husband's heart. If I had had any doubts at all, they were dispelled when my old car never did break down one time for Joe. He did, however, have to endure constant ridicule from his coworkers for driving a "clunker" to work every day. But two years later, God rewarded my husband by making a way for him to buy a beautiful brand new car of his own.

Scripture says: "Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are His wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods!" (Romans 11:33 TLB) In other words, our job is not to try to figure out how God is going to work on our behalf. Our job is to keep our trust in Him. When something doesn't work out the way you hoped it would, you can say, "That's no problem. God has another way to supply my needs, and I'm keeping my faith in Him. He is faithful! All is not lost." Then keep on thanking and praising Him that the healing, the provision, the answer is on the way!

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You are a creative genius, and that You have countless ways of meeting my needs. Teach me how to go to You first with all of my needs and desires. Help me to never put limits on You. Expand my vision and enlarge my faith, so that I can believe You for all the good things You have in store for me. When I am tempted to doubt, remind me that nothing is impossible with You. Thank You that as I keep my trust in You, and give You first place in my life, You will continually surprise me with blessings of every kind!