This is a true story, taken from my journal; which I started keeping just a few weeks after my salvation in March of 1978. It was a learning experience from the school of the Holy Ghost.
July 1978-Our truck was repossessed because of being behind on payments several times, and was now again one month behind. I had been unaware of this, and had to ask the Lord to help me forgive Lynn for keeping this from me.
We went to the bank and talked to them to try to negotiate and reclaim the truck back. However, they refused and advised we try to get a loan at another bank. We knew the chances were slim for us to be able to get another loan anywhere because Lynn had been late in keeping up the payments because he had been laid off.
That night, I prayed alone and asked the Lord to help us save the truck, but it looked impossible. The men from the bank had come and taken the truck, and said we would have to come up with the entire amount of the loan to get it back. They also gave a deadline; tomorrow at 3:00p.m.
During the night, as I was praying about this mess, the Lord spoke to my heart, “The president of the bank will try to convince you to take out a mortgage to release your truck. Do not do let them talk you into it.” I said out loud in the dark, “What do we do?” An answer came “Trust ME, I will take care of this.”
The next morning we were on the way to our bank, and as we drove I spoke to Lynn about the implication that perhaps the bank would bring up taking a mortgage out on our house, and told him I would not agree to it if they did. Lynn, simply said “I don’t think they will do that, but we’ll see what they say.” I didn’t say anything more, but I’ve made up my mind; we own our house, and that isn’t going to change.
We arrived, and sat in the presidents office, and she started talking about options. Then she said “One way to take care of this entire problem is to take out a mortgage on your home, and refinance the truck into it. This would consolidate both loans into one, and make it much easier to keep your payments up.” Lynn looked at me and said nothing, but I knew what he was thinking, “How did you know she would do this?” was in his eyes. He got up from his chair, and I started for the door, “No, we will look for another solution to this”. She smiled grimly and said “You have until 3:00 p.m.
The amount still owed on the truck was $5,800.00. We went to a bank in Lebanon, but they were very reluctant and said they would review our credit. Lynn went in to speak with the head of the bank, Mr. Nero. While he was in the office, I sat alone and prayed in the spirit, centering my soul on the Lord.
On hearing our story, he said he had no reason to grant our request but that he knew Lynn was telling the truth and admitting he was partly to blame. “If you had not told the truth, I would have known it, and your request would have been denied.“ he said.
After an hour of negotiations with the head office of the bank, we were granted a loan for the full amount. I was beginning to get anxious; I looked at the clock, it was a little after 1:00p.m.-we only had a few hours left.
Papers were signed, we were issued a check to the bank we owed the money to, and we headed up the interstate. We arrived at the bank at 2:55, five minutes before the deadline was up. There was an employee at the front door, locking the bank for the day. As we walked up the steps to him he said, “Come in, you just made it, I was closing five minutes early, because it was so slow this afternoon.”
God rescued us; just in time.
Lorna Couillard
The Holy Spirit has taught me much about God, and His ways in this experience. I am still learning from it to this day. Some profound things I learned were:
1. God’s omniscience, He is all-knowing. None of the events that took place were a surprise to Him. He already knew the future of what was in the mind of the president of the bank, and gave specific instructions to me that helped us to gain the victory in this situation. Paul describes this as the gift of the word of knowledge, and the word of wisdom, as he taught it in Corinthians. God has directed me many times in other situations over the years.
2. Our honesty, or the lack of it, is vitally important in the outcome of our trials. If Lynn had lied to Mr. Nero, the results would not have been success, but failure, we would have not gotten the loan.
3. God will answer a prayer in such a way that it gives total glory to Him; which it must.
July 1978-Our truck was repossessed because of being behind on payments several times, and was now again one month behind. I had been unaware of this, and had to ask the Lord to help me forgive Lynn for keeping this from me.
We went to the bank and talked to them to try to negotiate and reclaim the truck back. However, they refused and advised we try to get a loan at another bank. We knew the chances were slim for us to be able to get another loan anywhere because Lynn had been late in keeping up the payments because he had been laid off.
That night, I prayed alone and asked the Lord to help us save the truck, but it looked impossible. The men from the bank had come and taken the truck, and said we would have to come up with the entire amount of the loan to get it back. They also gave a deadline; tomorrow at 3:00p.m.
During the night, as I was praying about this mess, the Lord spoke to my heart, “The president of the bank will try to convince you to take out a mortgage to release your truck. Do not do let them talk you into it.” I said out loud in the dark, “What do we do?” An answer came “Trust ME, I will take care of this.”
The next morning we were on the way to our bank, and as we drove I spoke to Lynn about the implication that perhaps the bank would bring up taking a mortgage out on our house, and told him I would not agree to it if they did. Lynn, simply said “I don’t think they will do that, but we’ll see what they say.” I didn’t say anything more, but I’ve made up my mind; we own our house, and that isn’t going to change.
We arrived, and sat in the presidents office, and she started talking about options. Then she said “One way to take care of this entire problem is to take out a mortgage on your home, and refinance the truck into it. This would consolidate both loans into one, and make it much easier to keep your payments up.” Lynn looked at me and said nothing, but I knew what he was thinking, “How did you know she would do this?” was in his eyes. He got up from his chair, and I started for the door, “No, we will look for another solution to this”. She smiled grimly and said “You have until 3:00 p.m.
The amount still owed on the truck was $5,800.00. We went to a bank in Lebanon, but they were very reluctant and said they would review our credit. Lynn went in to speak with the head of the bank, Mr. Nero. While he was in the office, I sat alone and prayed in the spirit, centering my soul on the Lord.
On hearing our story, he said he had no reason to grant our request but that he knew Lynn was telling the truth and admitting he was partly to blame. “If you had not told the truth, I would have known it, and your request would have been denied.“ he said.
After an hour of negotiations with the head office of the bank, we were granted a loan for the full amount. I was beginning to get anxious; I looked at the clock, it was a little after 1:00p.m.-we only had a few hours left.
Papers were signed, we were issued a check to the bank we owed the money to, and we headed up the interstate. We arrived at the bank at 2:55, five minutes before the deadline was up. There was an employee at the front door, locking the bank for the day. As we walked up the steps to him he said, “Come in, you just made it, I was closing five minutes early, because it was so slow this afternoon.”
God rescued us; just in time.
Lorna Couillard
The Holy Spirit has taught me much about God, and His ways in this experience. I am still learning from it to this day. Some profound things I learned were:
1. God’s omniscience, He is all-knowing. None of the events that took place were a surprise to Him. He already knew the future of what was in the mind of the president of the bank, and gave specific instructions to me that helped us to gain the victory in this situation. Paul describes this as the gift of the word of knowledge, and the word of wisdom, as he taught it in Corinthians. God has directed me many times in other situations over the years.
2. Our honesty, or the lack of it, is vitally important in the outcome of our trials. If Lynn had lied to Mr. Nero, the results would not have been success, but failure, we would have not gotten the loan.
3. God will answer a prayer in such a way that it gives total glory to Him; which it must.
