A Down Payment of Blessings

He knows we are His since He has also stamped his seal of love over our hearts and has given us the Holy Spirit like an engagement ring is given to a bride—a down payment of the blessings to come!

2 Cor 1:22 TPT

Matt and I met on the weekend of my graduation from Bible School where I was preparing for my very first mission trip to Zaire, Africa.  Matt had taken several mission trips and had just returned from South America.  I just received my very 1^st passport and was thrilled to finally do what I had only dreamed about!

On the 1^st of many layovers, I landed in London Heathrow tired but full of excitement.  I called my mom but to my shock I heard her voice booming through the old black box on the wall, “Julie, you can’t go to Zaire, there has been a coup!  Its all over the news.”

I reassured her I would be fine as the pay phone quickly swallowed up all my British coins. Panicking, I attempted to call the US embassy, but their answering system kept putting me on hold while more and more of my meager funds disappeared.  

I began to question every decision I had made. Would all my efforts and preparations be in vain! The whisper in my head was on repeat, “What will everyone say?”

Not sure what to do, I went to a random ticket agent who regrettably informed me that I wouldn’t be allowed to continue my journey while she booked my return flight back to the States.  She then kindly pointed me to the bus station and directed me to the cheapest hotel I could afford.

After riding the big red bus for what seemed like hours, I arrived at the hotel somewhere in the middle of London. I opened the door to my room, sat on the bed finally able to pour out my tears of failure and humiliation when all of a sudden the phone beside the bed rang.  “How could anyone even know where I was?”  Hesitantly, I picked up the phone and to my amazement Matt's voice was on the other end.

He had somehow managed to find the one ticket agent in all of Heathrow who knew exactly where I was! He had pursued me until he found me and lovingly reassured me that all would be ok. Right before he hung up, he left me with words that were like a down payment stamped on my heart assuring me of the blessings to come.  He said, “If you come back home and marry me, I promise, I’ll take you around the world!

When I heard those words, I knew everything would somehow be alright. They were my reminder that all my hard work and effort would not be in vain. Any humiliation would be faced with someone by my side. Everything was going to be ok.

In the verse above, Jesus expressed his eternal love and commitment to us not only by giving us His Word, but He also went even further by giving us the Holy Spirit to be our Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counsellor, Strengthener and Standby!  Wow, what a down payment of blessings.  

When life becomes difficult during challenging times, let His Words of love all throughout the Bible be your reminder that there are blessings to come both now and in your future.   

Matt has kept those words for more than 28 years now, in fact it’s been one big, amazing adventure.  I can assure you the blessings have come and continue to come as we rely on His Word and take the love of God around the world.