ESTHER WAS A WOMAN for whom God had answered many prayers in the past. That morning, she prayed again, but this time, she prayed for a different reason: «Lord, I am going to sell banana bread. If I sell 100 loaves, I will have the first 100,000 colones for the trip. I need a big favor from You. You see, I don’t have time to go and buy bananas, so could You send someone to my house to give me a bunch of bananas to make the bread? Thank you, Lord; I’ll wait for the bananas.»
Esther was in charge of getting funds for a missionary trip. Since she could not sit on her hands and do nothing, she decided to go, by faith, to tell her neighbors that she was going to make banana bread to sell and thus raise finds to go and preach in indigenous territories in Costa Rica. Mrs. Florcita listened to her carefully and said, «You are working a loc, Esther; I believe you need to rest a little You don’t need to make those loaves of bread or go out to sell them: I am going to give you the 100,000 colones.»
How incredible God is! He was practically saying to her: «My dear daughter Esther, I am not going to give you the alms you are asking for; I am going to give you what you really need.» And that is how He supplied it.
This experience reminds me about the one we find described in Acts 3. A man who was lame from birth spent all his days at the gate of the temple begging for alms from all those who entered. On one occasion, Peter and John, faithful disciples of Christ, were about to go in, and there they saw him and went toward him. Believing they were going to give him the alms he was asking for, the man became happy, but he received an answer he was not expecting: «Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk,» said Peter (verse 6). He took him by the hand and raised him up. Instead of receiving alms, he received healing.
God always wants to give us something better than the material and immediate things we ask Him for. He wants to give us physical and spiritual health, and also eternal life. It may be that the reason He does not give you the alms you are asking for is because He is about to give you something better. Trust in Him.
«Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk’ » (Acts 3:6).
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Take From: Daily Devotions for Women’s 2020
«One Day at a Time»
From: Patricia Muñoz Bertozzi
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Obed Ramos
