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April 27, 2009

Dare to Trust Him!

During a week long revival at the Gospel Tabernacle in New York City, Dr. Forrest could not shake the thought of a debt that had to be paid when he returned to Toccoa. He prayed that while he was there someone would offer financial help, but this had not happened. Then as the revival was coming to an end, he received a beautifully written note on engraved paper. It was from Mrs. William Borden, whose family owned Borden Dairy. She had heard Dr. Forrest speak the previous Sunday morning and wanted to know if he would join her and her niece for dinner.

In Achieving The Impossible, Dr. Forrest said, “I did not know how to act. Even the house she was living in was enough to frighten me—she was renting it from John Rockefeller!” When he rang the doorbell a servant answered and held out a silver platter for his card, but Dr. Forrest did not have one. He simply told him who he was. “Oh, yes,” replied the doorman, “Mrs. Borden is looking for you.”

Mrs. Borden asked him all about the school. He answered her questions, but did not mention the pressing financial need facing the college. Later, as he returned to his hotel, a cloud of disappointment and gloominess fell down around his heart. He decided to write a long letter to his wife telling her about the beautiful Borden home, the fine furnishings, the candelabras that were placed perfectly on the table, the maids and the service, and the events of the evening. He mentioned how nice Mrs. Borden had been to him and what a good time of prayer they had together. But he concluded his letter with these words: “She never said a word about money.”

The idea of going home without an answer to his prayers probably seemed very discouraging. And the thought of facing a banker with no tangible way to repay the college’s debt may have been fear-producing. The cloud that fell down around his emotions may have tempted him to doubt and wonder what he would do, but it also provided the right atmosphere for God to work in a mighty way.

In Luke 9:34, we read that James, John, and Peter were completely enjoying their surroundings. They had been chosen to be with Jesus during the Transfiguration. We can only imagine the awe they experienced when they saw Moses and Elijah. Then suddenly a cloud fell down around them, darkness engulfed them, and they were afraid. Moments earlier, joy and wonder had filled their hearts because they were with the Savior. It took the atmosphere of a cloud for them to realize the eternal truth God wanted them to learn. He was preparing them for greater service, and when we go back and look at the history of the New Testament church, these three men were always at the forefront.

The next morning as he prepared to leave for home, Dr. Forrest received another note from Mrs. Borden. This time she wrote to express her gratitude for his visit and she also included a check for a hundred dollars—the exact amount he needed to pay the debt in Toccoa! The cloud lifted that had hung over his heart. There was something else: she promised to support the college financially for the rest of her life, which she did faithfully.

“Dare to trust Him!” wrote F. B. Myer, “Dare to follow Him! And discover the very forces which once barred your progress and threatened your life, at His bidding become the materials of which an avenue is made to blessing and liberty!”

Taken from the online devotional A Present Peace © 2009 tfchistory.com