God Is For Us

 

GOD IS FOR US

Psalm 56:9 (NLT)

"My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!"

Psalm 118:6 (NLT)

"The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God..."

Romans 8:31 (NLT)

"If God is for us, who can ever be against us?"

Yesterday, Ross had an appointment at the Cancer Center. The good news is that everything on his most recent scan is still stable! His doctor will continue watching his iron levels and will also be following up on his iron levels and upcoming colonoscopy.

Stable.

Sometimes that is a beautiful word. ❤️

For the past couple of weeks, I have also been praying very specifically for financial relief.

As many of you know, our electricity was shut off. Last winter, I missed our LIHEAP appointment because Ross was so sick. This year, I made it to the appointment, only to discover we were denied assistance because our power was already off.

And so, the stress began.

On top of the electricity situation, our Jeep needs approximately $1,900 worth of brake work before winter, plus another $1,000 or so for tires. I was honestly flabbergasted! Our mechanic had just fixed us up in July and then told us that before winter, these repairs really needed to be done if we wanted to drive safely.

Our monthly income is around $2,200.

So you can imagine my question:

How do you pay your regular bills and somehow come up with another $1,900... plus tires?

Then there were our property taxes. Last year's taxes had not been paid, and this year's were coming due.

The numbers were piling up:

Property taxes: approximately $1,800

Jeep brakes: approximately $1,900

Tires: approximately $1,000

Electricity: approximately $1,400

That is a lot of numbers to stare at when you're trying very hard not to panic!

Trying to stay focused and not become overwhelmed can be difficult. For me, PTSD can magnify fear, especially the fear of homelessness. After all, Ross and I have been there. We lived without a home for two and a half years.

Some fears don't simply disappear because life has improved. Sometimes a difficult situation can wake up an old memory, and suddenly your mind is racing ahead, imagining the worst possible outcome.

I have always put my trust in Jesus.

But I will be honest with you. When things begin to feel this serious, it can become a distraction. Add both of our health issues, cancer, aging, and everyday life, and sometimes life simply feels hard.

So each day, I ask God to strengthen my trust in Him.

And I began praying a very specific prayer.

I said, "Lord, send us an angel. But Lord, the people in our church have already been so kind and generous to us. We are not the only people in our church or community who are struggling. Please send us someone from outside the church. Give our church the opportunity to help someone else."

I know that might sound like an odd prayer.

But God knows my heart.

Our community has many people who need a hand up from time to time. I know how wonderful it feels to help someone, but I also know that, as human beings, it can become difficult watching someone you love constantly struggle.

And then yesterday...

We met Rachel.

Rachel works at the Cancer Center as a patient advocate.

I have to tell you, if I were young and working again, I think I would LOVE her job! 😂

I have struggled financially for much of my life, but one thing I have always loved is giving.

Jesus said:

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

Luke 6:38

But as I sat there thinking about everything that had just happened, something else happened.

Ross and I left the Cancer Center feeling lighter.

Relief was finally beginning to appear on the horizon.

The bills that had been keeping me awake.

The electricity.

The property taxes.

The Jeep repairs.

The tires.

Food for our refrigerator and freezer after months without electricity.

Help with reimbursement for Ross's cancer-related travel.

And Rachel was even looking ahead, hoping to help us find a way to get a well next year!

When God opens a door, sometimes He doesn't just crack it open.

Sometimes He throws it wide open! 🙌❤️

And as Ross and I talked about everything that had happened, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

What a beautiful reminder of how much God truly cares for us.

Not just for Ross and me.

For all of us.

God sees the bills we are afraid to open.

He sees the nights we lie awake wondering how everything will work out.

He sees the fear we don't always tell anyone about.

He sees the memories that come rushing back when life begins to feel uncertain.

And sometimes, when we are standing there wondering how we will possibly make it through tomorrow, God is already working on an answer we haven't even discovered yet.

God is for us.

And then...

As we were leaving the Cancer Center, something happened that I honestly cannot explain any other way.

A tiny thought entered my mind.

Just two words.

CHRISTIAN CAMP.

That's it.

Two words.

But those two words instantly became something much bigger.

It was almost like a movie began playing inside my mind.

In a flash, I could see it.

A place here in our beautiful area.

A Christian family camp.

Not just a camp for children.

A place for families.

I could see ten tent sites.

Ten RV sites.

A few cabins.

A church.

A recreation hall.

A dining hall.

Somewhere near a beautiful river or lake.

I could see families coming together.

Parents.

Grandparents.

Children.

People laughing together.

Eating together.

Worshipping together.

Making memories together.

There would be family activities, children's activities, and activities for the grown-ups too.

There could be Christian concerts.

Sunday morning worship services held outside on beautiful sunny days.

And when the Maine weather decides otherwise... 😂 we could gather inside the church!

There could be guided hikes.

Canoes.

Kayaks.

Weekly Christian movies.

Games.

Fellowship.

Food.

Laughter.

Worship.

And so much more.

Most importantly, it would be reasonably priced.

A place where ordinary families could afford to come.

A place where people could step away from the noise of everyday life and spend time together.

A place where families could reconnect.

A place where children could have fun.

A place where adults could rest.

A place where people could enjoy God's beautiful creation.

And a place where Jesus would always be at the center.

And Penny being Penny... 😂 my mind was already going a hundred miles an hour!

The feelings that came with those two little words were overwhelming.

The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood up.

I felt something so powerful inside me that I can barely describe it.

My mind was full.

My heart was full.

My whole body felt alive with excitement.

I literally felt surrounded by something wonderful.

Now, I am not going to tell you that I know every detail of what God is going to do.

I don't.

I don't know where this camp would be.

I don't know how we would find the land.

I don't know where the money would come from.

I don't know who would join us.

I don't know how long it would take.

But I do know this:

God is not finished with us yet!

PRAISE GOD! 🙌

And suddenly, something else began making sense.

My books.

For years, I have written.

Devotions.

My story.

Stories of suffering.

Stories of salvation.

Stories of serving.

Stories about what God can do with a broken life.

And I have often wondered where all of this writing was going.

Maybe...

Just maybe...

God has been preparing something bigger than I could see.

I am going to finish my book.

I am going to keep writing.

I am going to keep sharing what God has done in my life.

And I am going to keep moving forward.

Because perhaps the profits from my books will someday help fuel this new adventure.

Can you imagine?

A life that once felt so broken being used to help build a place where families can come together, rest, laugh, worship, and experience the love of Jesus?

Can you imagine my story—every painful chapter, every difficult season, every wrong turn, every time I wondered if my life mattered—being used for something that could bless other people?

That is what God does.

He doesn't waste our pain.

He doesn't throw away the broken pieces.

He can take the very things we thought would destroy us and use them to create something beautiful.

Ross and I have always dreamed about helping people.

We have talked about traveling around and visiting food cupboards, quietly discovering who needs help, and anonymously meeting those needs.

We dreamed about watching fear turn into relief.

Watching tears turn into smiles.

Watching people discover that someone cared.

And now, once again, here we are.

The ones needing help.

But perhaps that is part of the lesson too.

Sometimes we need to receive before we can give.

Sometimes God allows someone else to be His hands and feet in our lives.

And maybe one day, because someone helped us when we were struggling, we will be able to turn around and help someone else.

Maybe Rachel will never fully understand what her kindness started.

Maybe she will never know that the help she gave one struggling couple might someday become part of a much bigger story.

But that's the beautiful thing about kindness.

You never know how far it will travel.

You never know what God will do with one open door.

You never know what might happen because someone decided to say:

"Let me help."

So today, I want to encourage you.

Maybe you are in the middle of a difficult season.

Maybe the bills are piling up.

Maybe your health is frightening you.

Maybe you are exhausted.

Maybe you are wondering how you will make it through tomorrow.

Remember these words:

God is for you.

You may not see the answer yet.

But that doesn't mean God isn't already working.

You may be focused on surviving today's problem while God is quietly preparing tomorrow's purpose.

Ross and I went to the Cancer Center looking for answers about cancer.

We walked out with help for our immediate needs...

And two words that may someday change the direction of our lives.

CHRISTIAN CAMP.

I don't know where this path will lead.

But I know Who will lead us.

And I have learned something throughout my life:

When God gives you a purpose, you don't have to know every step.

You simply have to take the next one.

So, I have work to do!

I have a book to finish.

I have stories to tell.

I have a publishing journey to begin.

And I have a dream planted in my heart that I fully intend to follow wherever God leads.

Kharis Publishing... I will be awaiting your call! 😂❤️

And to everyone reading this devotion:

Keep coming back.

Because I have a feeling God is writing another chapter in the Gowen family story.

And if I have learned anything over these many years, it is this:

When God is writing the story, you never know what might happen next!

Thank You, Lord, for always being for us.

Thank You for providing when we cannot see a way.

Thank You for sending people to help us.

Thank You for reminding us that needing help does not mean we have failed.

And thank You for showing us that You are not finished with us yet.

God is for us.

And because God is for us...

There is still hope.

There is still purpose.

There is still another chapter waiting to be written.

And maybe...

Just maybe...

There is a Christian family camp somewhere in our future. ❤️🙏

🙏 Prayer

Writing

Heavenly Father,

Today, we thank You because You are for us.

When life becomes overwhelming, remind us that we are never facing our struggles alone. When bills pile up, when our health becomes frightening, when the future feels uncertain, and when fear begins whispering in our minds, help us remember Your promises.

You are with us.

You strengthen us.

You help us.

You hold us up.

Lord, thank You for the people You send into our lives at exactly the right time. Thank You for every Rachel, every friend, every stranger, every advocate, every person who becomes Your hands and feet when we need help.

Help us to receive assistance with humility and gratitude.

And Lord, someday, allow us to become the answer to someone else's prayer.

Give us eyes to see people who are hurting.

Give us hearts willing to help.

And give us courage to follow the dreams and visions You place within us.

If this Christian family camp is truly a path You have placed before Ross and me, then lead us one step at a time. Open the doors that need to be opened. Bring the right people into our lives. Provide what is needed. And close every door that is not from You.

We don't need to know the entire journey, Lord.

We simply need to trust You with the next step.

Thank You for reminding us that You are not finished with us yet.

We place our fears, our finances, our health, our future, our dreams, and our lives into Your hands.

Because You are for us.

In Jesus' precious name,

Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth,

As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever. Amen.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED. AMEN. BOBBA ❤️

Love, Penny 💛 

##Godisgood #faith #devotional