God Will Provide

Written by Amelia Punt

I asked Jesus into my life at an early age, but I truly said yes to him on a Wednesday night at Camp Pinnacle in Clayton, GA when a missionary shared her testimony about serving God in Cambodia. With a campfire glimmering onto her face and in a soft voice, she shared how the government had taken her to a prison for sharing about Jesus. They only gave her dirty water to drink and a small, dark room to sit in with other women. But instead of questioning why she was taken there, she continued to share about Him and people came to know Jesus! This international missionary may not know it, but through sharing her trials and serving the Lord, she embedded the truth in my soul that God provides our needs no matter the circumstance, even when I have the tendency of forgetting his provision.

I had never experienced a “dark trial” until my junior year in high school when my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodkins Lymphoma–a should have been death sentence. Both he and my mom were at the hospital for half the year and during that time, I chose to put up a front, hide, and deal with my emotions somewhere else. I hid my emotions by turning good things into idols. Those idols became sins and my sins seemed too big for God to redeem. It was a vicious cycle of sinning and repenting and sinning and repenting. I had forgotten who the God I had said yes to all those years ago. How could God save my dad and even me if I had disobeyed Him many times, over and over again? Inside I doubted if God would provide for my family physically and financially. I had turned away from Him secretly, while outwardly glorifying Him.

The Lord did provide not only a physical and financial healing, but a spiritual healing. In the midst of my doubts, hurt, and hiding, God healed my dad’s body and he has continued to be in remission to this day. God taught me that He is a forgiving and merciful God who always says, “Come to me” when we have repentant hearts.

When I wanted to go to Samford, He provided financially so that I would be able to attend Samford, where God graciously gave me friends and a husband. When my parents suffered financially, He provided in ways that are unimaginable by using other people in the church. When my major at college was being dissolved, God provided another major, including more financial provision. When J and I decided to move to Durham, God provided! When I was lonely and needed community, God provided Waypoint. While they were not immediate answered prayers, God saw me in the dark moments and provided.

God has provided my needs each step of the way, even when it’s difficult to trust, and even when we doubt Him. He has and will always provide your needs. God does not promise that we will not suffer or struggle, but that we must trust Him that He is a good Father who knows us and knows what we need and when we need it. He hears your cries when the money doesn’t add up, depression and/or anxiety creeps in, a death happens, or you’re lonely. Whatever your cry is to the Lord, He hears you! He provides our needs according to His purpose. Trust Him.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all I need” -Psalm 23:1NLT

A New Approach to Help those in Material Poverty

For some in our community, material wealth is something they were given, like an inheritance or being born into a materially wealthy family. For many, it means taking a nose-to-the-grindstone, climb-the-ladder approach. In fact, “you don’t get what you wish for, you get what you work for,” – am I right? For others, economic wellness is incredibly complicated. This may involve barely making ends meet and dealing with complex obstacles like poor credit, predatory lending, low financial literacy and broken relationships.

It doesn’t take much time in God’s word before we clearly see that Christ-followers are to share with those in our community who are materially poor. That’s fairly straight-forward. But the model that we often see in helping those in economic poverty is a one-way road.

Take a soup kitchen for example. There is a clear divide between those who have something and those who do not. I’m not dismissing the crucial importance of feeding the hungry (our church helps with Backpack Buddies), but what if some of our ministry efforts to help those in economic poverty looked more like a potluck? In this scenario, everyone is on a level playing field, coming to the table with something they need and with something to give. And this is exactly how God sees us – we are equal to him regardless of material prosperity or poverty.

The Chalmers Center has developed resources to equip low-income adults with the practical financial and spiritual tools to help steward their money well. This is a new approach that is designed around a 12-week community experience in which those living at or near the poverty line will learn basic tools and tips they need to get on their feet and what it means to glorify God with their money. To be clear, these tools are not a deep dive on retirement accounts or tax strategies. Instead, they are geared towards those who:

• Are just starting out learning how to budget

• Don’t have a lot of extra money to spare

• Desire to overcome financial obstacles

• Want to save more and pay off debt

The community experience that is created through this 12-week course is not just about people with financial means transferring concepts to those who are materially poor. And it isn’t about those who are materially poor coming to wealth and prosperity, though that could be something that the Lord brings to fruition. This journey and community is about all participants – both volunteers and students – being more fully restored to a life of spiritual and financial wellness that mirrors the kingdom of God.

A small group of Waypoint members will soon be launching this new faith and finances community, and we are looking for both volunteers and students. Volunteers do not need to be financial experts. In fact, we already have people certified to serve as facilitators. Instead, volunteers are allies to students - people who are willing to be vulnerable, listen to and pray with others. People who will sit at the table.

If you are interested in learning more, please sign up here for our interest meeting which will be held on Sunday, April 11th at 7pm via zoom.

If you or someone you know is interested in attending the course as a student, email me at

Sandra.k.truitt105@gmail.com.