Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.
This piece of the scripture has been brought to my attention many times over the past months.
I am still reading the book by Catherine Marshall ’Beyond Our selves’ and it is incredibly inspiring.
I have been most moved when reading about a man named George Muller, who felt led to start an orphanage in during the early 1800’s in England, but he did not have the means. Until the Lord gave him the scripture ‘Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it’. He believed the scriptures quite literally – just as we all should. He committed himself and his team to pray diligently for ALL the financial needs of the orphanage and the they were blessed above and beyond! In fact, they did not only have all their basic needs met but all the children were provided for in a way well above what was expected and with all the resources, they eventually had 5 buildings with 110 helpers taking care of 2050 orphans.
A few days after reading this testimony, a client informed me in a meeting that he had resigned and was going into full time ministry. He was so excited about his decision. The Lord had also given him this exact scripture and the moment he took the step of faith, the blessings began to flow.
I myself had also felt compelled to take a step of faith after reading George Muller’s testimony. From the start of this year, I have been working on a new business venture. The reason for exploring this venture was because our family business has been taking strain and I wanted to create a second income stream. My passion is to create a place were kids and families can come to enjoy the beauty of creation, the thrill of adventure and the simplicities of life – without technology.
The business plan was coming on really well but my husband kept saying to me “You can have the best plan in the world, but without the people (customers), your plan is nothing”. He didn’t mean to undermine me. He was just being real.
It was at this time that the Lord whispered to me that I need not worry. He would bring the people. And he would bring them in abundance.
So, I went back to my book to read more about George Muller for inspiration and this was when I sensed the Lord telling me that I must trust Him to bring every single person to our camp.
I need to add though, that my field of expertise is marketing. Career wise, it is all I have ever done so it is very heard to hear that I am not to do any marketing but rather trust in God to grow this business. The time that I would usually spend building a marketing plan and executing the plan, I must spend in prayer. At first, I felt extremely excited. I have always wanted to live a life on faith. I used to think how incredible it must be to be a farmer. To trust in God for your every provision – for good weather, peaceful workers, great crops, good market prices.
But now that I am living in this faith and trusting in God to bring the people, I find that I am struggling. I am doer. So how do I ‘not do’? What should I do and what should I not do?
Are there any rules for this?
As I write this, I ask the Lord to guide me. To help me understand exactly how He wants me to proceed.
I realize that I my picture of living by faith was rather idealized and in reality, it is really not that easy. Believing in what is unseen. Hoping in something on which there is absolutely no certainty.
The bible has a beautiful scripture for this;
Hebrews 11:1 Good News Translation (GNT)
Faith
11 To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.
So “opening my mouth wide” means that I have to believe God not just for enough, but for plenty. Actually, for everything. It is about more than just my passions and desires – it’s about His purposes and His plans.
George Muller called it his experiment – to see how God would bless his orphanages if he completely prayed and trusted in him.
Now, it is my turn to trust. I am writing this so that I can be accountable. So that I will not run ahead on my own steam and forge my own plans and marketing campaigns but rather that I will pray, pray, pray and trust that God will lead me every step of the way.
And all you wonderful readers will be a part of this faith journey and this ‘trust’ experiment.
I will trust in God and in His goodness.
Sing praises to God, our strength.
Sing to the God of Jacob.
2 Sing! Beat the tambourine.
Play the sweet lyre and the harp.
3 Blow the ram’s horn at new moon,
and again at full moon to call a festival!
4 For this is required by the decrees of Israel;
it is a regulation of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a law for Israel[b]
when he attacked Egypt to set us free.
I heard an unknown voice say,
6 “Now I will take the load from your shoulders;
I will free your hands from their heavy tasks.
7 You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you;
I answered out of the thundercloud
and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah.
8 “Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings.
O Israel, if you would only listen to me!
9 You must never have a foreign god;
you must not bow down before a false god.
10 For it was I, the Lord your God,
who rescued you from the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.