Phillip owned a small hardware store in a small midwestern town. His Father had started it more than 30 years before. He was a faithful church member and a financial supporter of the church and foreign missions. Then it happened. A deluge of rain came and brought floods with it. His store was flooded and lost. He had some insurance but not enough to cover a total loss. Fortunately his home and family was fine. Later, as the flood waters receded, Phillip stood looking at his store in unbelief.
“What do I do now?” He asked himself. Inside, as he trudged through the muck and mud looking for anything, he prayed, “God, show me what to do. I don’t know what to do.” He looked down and saw a hammer coated in mud. He picked it up, wiped it off, and thought, “This is still a new hammer in great shape. This was a sign from God…rebuild. He dug out every salvageable tool, took them outside to the tailgate of his truck. People began to come to buy tools and he had them. If the people didn’t have the money they needed Phillip loaned them the tools they needed.
Not only did Phillip recover and rebuild, he added a tool rental business to his hardware store. The townspeople remembered his generosity and his business grew better than before, while other businesses languished and died.
The Bible teaches us, “So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.” (II Peter 2:9)
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