Money III

Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am thy God.  I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10 [NIV]

If I won the lottery, my financial inadequacies would be over, correct?  I would never again have a moment of want, a time of financial desperation.  I would have the funds to help myriads of people—young and old.  I would be able to do so many wonderful things.  I… I… I… I… and there lies the rub.  When there is no money, my dependence upon God is a daily necessity.  When there is no need, however, there often is no communication.  When there is no communication, there is no reliance.  When there is no reliance, there is no trust. When there is no trust, there is no relationship.

Early Sunday morning, as we were walking to the Fine Arts Building from the parking garage at Carnegie-Mellon, my mind was going over the quite real impossibilities of our task.  My young friend is gloriously talented, but would the adjudicators hear in him what I hear?  If he were accepted, how could he possibly attend?  Coming from Virginia, there would be out-of-state tuition.  The cost at such a great institution has to be very high.  Where would the money come from?  Would the family be willing to accept any kind of a financial burden?  Would the father allow him to attend, considering all the financial obstacles littering the pathway? 

I did not share any of these concerns with my student.  Instead, I said to him, “There is a verse from the Old Testament that I want you to keep in the forefront of your mind this morning, and during the waiting period that follows this audition.  When you begin to feel nervous, just concentrate on this verse.  I then shared with him the wonderful words of Isaiah 41.  When you are nervous and afraid, He is with you.  When you are discouraged and wonder if this is even possible, He is God.  There is assurance of strength, help, hope, and being held in the palm of His gentle, loving hands.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.