And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 11:27-30

One of the most amazing stories of God providing was in the life of George Mueller (1805-1898). He truly trusted God and put Him to the test many times. One of the most famous stories is when George had the children of his orphanage sit to eat when there wasn’t a crumb of food in the house. He asked God for provision and thanked God for the food that He would provide—and God did! God was already working! The Lord placed in many shop keepers’ hearts and situations to bring food to the orphanage that evening for dinner! God already knew of George’s need and already took care of it. All George had to do was ask!

God never provides for something in the same way. In this passage, God chooses to use the prophet Agabus to foretell of a worldwide famine. Because of the persecution of believers in Jerusalem and surrounding areas of Judea, the believers in Antioch were led by the Spirit to help their already hurting brethren as they could. They made plans to send provisions through Saul and Barnabas.

The Christians in Antioch obeyed the Spirit when they heard of the upcoming famine. The shop keepers obeyed God when He led them to bring food to George Mueller and the orphans that one evening so very long ago. How do you react when the Holy Spirit brings a need to your attention? Do you obey, or do you brush His leading off for someone else to obey? God wants to use each of us in a great way, but He can only do that when we are willing to obey His leading. Be sure to listen, the Holy Spirit needs you to respond.

Written by Kaye Dee Richards. Kaye Dee lives with her husband Colin in Morrison, CO. They have 4 children, Joshua, Amelia, Victoria, and Julia.
To contact Kaye Dee, leave a comment, message us on Facebook or email comments@thebeautifulspirit.org.