Twin Lamps
God’s goodness is something He wants each of us to experience. He cares deeply about all of our needs and even those things which could be classified as “wants”.
“Before they call I will answer” (Isaiah 65:24 (NIV).
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him” (Psalm 8:3-4)?
When my husband and I redecorated our living room five years ago, the decorator in a furniture store recommended a beautiful hand-painted porcelain lamp to go with our color scheme. “Wouldn’t a matching pair of these be gorgeous?” she said as she ran her hand over the smooth surface of the lamp. I looked at the price tag and said, “Maybe one.”
Even with the furniture store’s sale price, the lamp still cost more than we would normally pay. But we decided to splurge with one exquisite accent piece and bought one lamp. We’d make do with another table lamp we already had for additional lighting.
Several years later, we met our daughter at the furniture store parking lot to transfer our grandsons after a sleepover at our home. We arrived before our daughter, so we browsed the outdoor sale tables. “Look at this, Dear,” I said to my husband as a familiar-looking lamp caught my eye. “Isn’t this just like our hand-painted lamp?”
A sales associate checked our record of purchases and confirmed it was the identical lamp. Now it cost less than one-third of the original price. Even so, my husband said, “Ask if they’ll come down more.” I did, and they took another ten percent off the sale price. The lamp didn’t have a shade, but that wasn’t a problem because I had a matching shade at home.
When we had purchased the first lamp five years earlier, the shade was slightly flawed. The store replaced it and said we could keep the damaged one. By turning the flawed side to the back, we would have an identical pair.
Now when I look at my twin lamps, one on each side of the room on end tables by our recliners, I smile at God’s sweet goodness in giving us matching lamps. He used the rendezvous with our daughter to add a special surprise to our lives and to show He even cares about the beauty in our home. We weren’t shopping for lamps that day, but God had a bargain waiting. God, the designer of the universe, also makes a wonderful interior decorator.
Thank you, Lord, for the special surprises You add to my life. Even though You created the vast universe, You still care about the tiniest details that concern me. When I see the small things You do, I feel reassured that You are taking care of the big things, too. Whether I’m aware of it or not, I know You are always mindful of me and are always working on my behalf.
Questions: How has God surprised you with things He’s done in your life? What other Bible verses remind you of His loving care?
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I enjoyed this article, Lydia, and I also really enjoyed the comments on it, too. It is wonderful that God cares for our smallest desires and the tiny details of our lives. We have a truly awesome God – awesome in His love and His hope, and one of my favorite verses is Lamentations 3:23-24: “21 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. 22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 ‘The LORD is my portion,” says my soul.’” [NJKV]
Thank you again for this, Lydia, and God bless you all for your comments!
It is encouraging to know that God cares for our needs and our wants no matter how small they may seem to be. We experience Gods grace every day. Even when we do not request for these things, God cares and gives us. 2Peter 1 verse 3 ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for life…..”
God surprised me by being on time for when I need Him the most. I never see the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging for bread! They Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want!
I love this devotional. I too am reassured knowing that if God is taking such great care of the tiniest details, then the big ones are a piece of cake for Him. Thank you for sharing.
This warmed my heart, Lydia. We so often forget how God cares about us right down to the details of our lives.
It makes me think of 1 Timothy 6:17-19. We are instructed to keep our hope in God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy and to share.
Our hope in Him, our appreciation of His blessings and our generosity to others are all so connected! Your story has all 3 elements. Thanks for sharing it.
God bless you.