March 3, 2021
God’s Provision in Our Moment of Greatest Need
EMILY G. STROUD
Lee en español
“He does not ignore those who need help. He does not hate them. He does not turn away from them. He listens when they cry for help.” Psalm 22:24 (ERV)
My mom has Alzheimer’s.
It’s rare for me to say it out loud. The label. The diagnosis. This was not the plan for my parents’ golden years in retirement. This is a shattered dream.
Alzheimer’s is a slow, painful process of dying that forces family members to continually grieve each and every stage of loss. There is no ripping off of the proverbial “Band-Aid.” And just when you think you have figured out your new normal, it changes again.
For many years, my approach to my mother’s Alzheimer’s was to try to “fix” her. I’m a financial advisor by trade, and people come to me to create plans to “fix” and manage their financial lives.
I treated my mom’s diagnosis just like a client case study. I had action plans and spreadsheets listing the contact information for the very best people to care for her emotional, physical and financial needs. I thought if I worked hard enough, we could change the trajectory of her future health.
But none of it worked the way I thought it would, leaving me devastated. I begged God to explain to me why she had to continue to suffer. Like David in Psalm 22, I cried out to Him, and as David testifies in Psalm 22:24, God stepped in to my moment of greatest need: “He does not ignore those who need help. He does not hate them. He does not turn away from them. He listens when they cry for help.”
God told me through His Holy Spirit that my job was not to fix her. My job was to love her well through every stage and to listen. Don’t correct her when she repeats herself or asks the same question over and over. Do help her live as comfortably as possible with the correct care. But don’t think for one minute that I needed to fix her.
God is the only one in the business of “fixing” people. Even then, He loves us well through every stage of our lives — through the messes and confusion and in our moments of greatest need.
And you know what else I soon realized? My mom doesn’t need the fixing I can provide. She knows exactly who her heavenly Father is and that her salvation is real and her eternity in heaven is secure. She would love to tell you all about it. This is a truth that she still knows, understands and lives out each and every day. She is at peace.
Helping care for her has changed me — making me a better friend, parent and advisor to others. I am more empathetic and authentic. It has drawn me closer to my heavenly Father and kept me on my knees praying for wisdom and guidance, dependent on Him.
God has also reminded me over and over that He loves us through the helpers He’s brought to our family. We are reminded often that He “… does not ignore those who need help” (Psalm 22:24) through the care my mom receives from nurses, therapists and other caregivers at her nursing home. They are truly acting as the hands and feet of Jesus.
God will provide for all of our needs. It may look different than what we ever imagined or even planned for. It certainly may not be glamorous, but God will provide.
For example, my parents bought long-term care insurance many years ago just after my father had triple bypass heart surgery. We thought he might be the one who would need long-term care one day. That insurance has been a monumental financial blessing to our family. We never imagined my mom having Alzheimer’s or being the recipient of the insurance when it was purchased many years ago. However, she now benefits financially and is very well taken care of.
Friend, while I don’t know your specific situation or what your “greatest need” is right now, God does. He is intimately acquainted with your struggles, and He sees the ways you may be trying to fix them on your own. Choose to surrender those struggles and the fixing to Him today … and then watch how He draws you close and provides just what you need at just the right time.
Heavenly Father, today we honor and praise You. Thank You for providing for all of our needs. We ask forgiveness for the ways we have doubted Your sovereignty. Help us to trust You more and ourselves less in all areas of our life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Philippians 4:19, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (NLT)
RELATED RESOURCES:
To learn more ways to achieve financial freedom according to biblical principles, please grab a copy of Emily G. Stroud’s latest book, Faithful Finance: 10 Secrets to Move from Fearful Insecurity to Confident Control.
Check out Faithful Finance LIVE, which is now streaming on PureFlix. PureFlix is generously offering a free trial for seven days so you can join Emily in her home. It's a peaceful setting to talk about hopes, dreams and fears as they relate to money. Join Emily and receive practical tools and tips so you can learn to manage your money, so it doesn’t end up managing you.
CONNECT:
Connect with Emily at FaithfulFinance.com, where she’s giving away a FREE budget worksheet. Download a copy and take the first step forward on this new journey to financial freedom.
Enter to WIN your very own copy of Faithful Finance by Emily G. Stroud. To celebrate this book, Emily’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, March 8, 2021.}
REFLECT AND RESPOND:
What is your greatest need right now? How can you step back from fixing that need and instead let God provide for you in His own way and timing? Share with us in the comments!
Emily G. Stroud, MBA, CFA is a Registered Representative Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC to residents of: MT, SC, TX, and UT. Investment Advisor Representative Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Stroud Financial Management, Inc. are not affiliated. Cambridge and Emily G. Stroud, LLC are also not affiliated.
© 2021 by Emily G. Stroud. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, for their sponsorship of today’s devotion, as well as Tom Dean of A Drop of Ink, LLC.
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