The Lord Will Provide
Jun 21, 2020 | by Nancy Newbrough
My mother was a prayer warrior; it was her spiritual gift! She started coming to The Fellowship in the church’s early days and immediately joined the Prayer Team. With her great wisdom, experience and overflowing love for the Lord and others, she had a profound influence in shaping the Ministry of Prayer. Her prayer life was rivaled by none I know! Her death on May 21 just nine days shy of her 91st birthday has left a huge void in the lives of her family, her friends and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.
For decades she studied the Word of God and devoted herself to Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior. Well into her 80th decade, she was teaching a weekly Bible study at a nearby nursing home. She constantly encouraged family members to join her online in studying whatever portion of Scripture she was currently concentrating on.
My mother relied on the Lord for everything! If ever there was a personal need, she would say: “I am okay – the Lord will provide what I need” ... and He always did!
There are so many examples of her reliance on the Lord for this through prayer. Her financial situation did not allow her to own her own home, but God provided at minimal or no cost a beautiful home for 15 years in College Station while she was working at Texas A&M University and another home in Katy for 24 years. She had untreated breast cancer for five years and prayed for God’s healing. When she finally agreed to a mastectomy, there was only one lymph node with signs of the disease and there was never a re occurrence or any lingering effects.
For more than her last ten years, my mom had a narrowing heart valve that left doctors baffled. She never had any chest pains and seemed to overcome all problems that cropped up because of it. Mom always gave credit to the Lord! Even the doctors agreed that her situation was a miracle! They had never seen a more narrow heart valve or a higher pressure in the heart and often remarked among themselves how astonishing it was that she was still living. She would tell them that the Lord must still be keeping her here to pray for others!
Mom prayed for everyone she knew -- especially those in her family. So many, both in immediate and extended family, love to tell how her faithfulness to pray for them moved the hand of God and changed their lives. At her Celebration of Life, one grandson-in-law credited the prayers of my mother and his wife for his victory in overcoming addiction. One of her granddaughters encouraged the rest of the family to step up their prayer life to help fill the gap since Granny was gone. This young woman quoted Psalm 91 as the most recent verses of encouragement Granny had given. Heads were nodding because they, too, had received the emails and social media posts!
No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11) was one of my mom’s favorite verses. She saw this promise demonstrated over and over again in her own life and in the lives of those she prayed for. When I was struggling with a work problem, relationship issue, financial concern, health scare or family crisis, this was the verse she used to encourage me. Walking uprightly does not mean living a sin-free life -- as that is impossible. It means earnestly striving to defeat sin through the power of the Holy Spirit -- as she would explain.
My mother taught me so much about the promises of God and the hope I have in Him. I miss her very much -- she was my best friend. Mom is with Jesus now! Although she is dearly missed, we will see her again.
S.S.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will
give grace and glory; no good thing will He
withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11