A Personal Testimony on a Prophet's Promise

Jeremiah 31:16 KJV

Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

Back in April of 1984 my wife and I moved to the city of Astoria, Oregon to plant a new Independent Baptist Church there. We had spoken to two families living there who were praying for a pastor to come plant a church. When we arrived, April 8, 2014, we met two other families who also joined in the work. But things were very difficult at the first:

• We had no regular support
• I was not able to find a suitable job
• Buildings to rent were expensive and owners were unwilling to rent to a new church anyway
• The first two of the four families got disenchanted and quit by summer

The building we did eventually rent was an abandoned filling station just on the outskirts of town. When the rains came the floors indoors flooded, when spring came flying ants swarmed inside. It was a disaster and I was discouraged. 

Someone had given me a daily calendar with a Bible verse for each day. One Sunday morning I got to the building early to clean before the services and found that someone had shot out a plate glass window in the room we used as the auditorium. Besides what I knew was going to be an expensive repair, I knew I would also have to prop up the few people who did attend our services from their own discouragement at being victimized in this way. I was disheartened but kept with my routine for the day, which included tearing off yesterday's calendar to see what the verse was for that day. 

It was Jeremiah 31:16.

I needed that promise that particular day and immediately went to my knees asking God to honor this promise on our behalf. I cut the verse from the calendar and laminated it (Actually I just covered it in clear Scotch Tape) and put it in my wallet.

• That morning a family from Portland visited and took my wife and me to dinner at one of the nicer restaurants in Astoria. I thanked the Lord for such a quick blessing and told Him that made a great "down payment" on the promise. 
• Two years later God gave us a building of our own. I accepted that as a piece of the promise. 
• Another two years after that the building was paid for in an unexpected way. I took that as God's answer to the promise.

I have kept that little verse, covered in tape, in my wallet and God has kept answering that promise again and again. I cannot say that everything that has ever happened since the day I put that promise from the Bible in my wallet has been good. We have endured grief and sometimes terrible pain. But God has rewarded us over and over.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.