| Spiritual Non-Fiction posted March 31, 2021 | Chapters: |
2 3 -4- 5... 
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Did I hear Him or not?
A chapter in the book Gambling with God
God Told Me We would Win
by samandlancelot
| Background Would God want me to gamble? I think He wants me at the casino playing games. I didn't realize when I wrote my first chapter this was a story to be continued. Journal entries begin with chapter two. |
Update 3/31/21:
Yesterday morning I felt joy overtake me, and I was certain God was with me. A few hours later, as Gary and I headed for the casino, I knew we would win, and that knowledge came from God.
I planned to play $200 from my past winnings. As I played max bet at $3, the money dwindled quickly and soon ran out. I felt anxious because what I believed God told me contrasted with the evidence before me. I kept rearranging my thoughts trying to fit God's revelation to me into the picture, but without God's understanding, I knew that wouldn't work.
I played another $200 with the same anxiety level and the same results.
Gary asked me to get another $200 from the ATM. This was unusual for him, especially with our losing streak. I didn't think we would win, but perhaps one more time would give us the win God predicted would come.
When our credits dipped below $50, I knew we wouldn't win. Losing the money wasn't the problem for me, but if I were wrong about what God showed me, I couldn't trust that I could hear Him. I knew He told me we would win.
At the end of our trip to the casino, we had gambled $677.
But we won, as God told me we would.
On our way home, Gary said he wanted the last $200 from the ATM for the last money we would ever spend at a casino. If we couldn't win with all the money we spent, we would never win, and we would never go back.
That's when I knew the victory God promised wasn't a win at the casino, it was a win against the casino. At the end of our gambling spree, we won $925 more than we lost. Since we aren't going back, that's what we won, and that's what we'll keep.
Gary wanted to make one more stop on our way home to get a lottery ticket.
"After all the gambling and the decision to not return, do you really want to continue gambling with lottery tickets?" I asked.
He didn't buy a lottery ticket. Is it over for him? I don't know.
When we avoid traveling roads that can lead our flesh to dangerous places, our desires might go into hiding, but they don't go away. When God sends us into the fire of our addictions and other weaknesses, we must go. He will burn off the dross, clean us up nicely and get us ready for the next round.
Yesterday morning I felt joy overtake me, and I was certain God was with me. A few hours later, as Gary and I headed for the casino, I knew we would win, and that knowledge came from God.
I planned to play $200 from my past winnings. As I played max bet at $3, the money dwindled quickly and soon ran out. I felt anxious because what I believed God told me contrasted with the evidence before me. I kept rearranging my thoughts trying to fit God's revelation to me into the picture, but without God's understanding, I knew that wouldn't work.
I played another $200 with the same anxiety level and the same results.
Gary asked me to get another $200 from the ATM. This was unusual for him, especially with our losing streak. I didn't think we would win, but perhaps one more time would give us the win God predicted would come.
When our credits dipped below $50, I knew we wouldn't win. Losing the money wasn't the problem for me, but if I were wrong about what God showed me, I couldn't trust that I could hear Him. I knew He told me we would win.
At the end of our trip to the casino, we had gambled $677.
But we won, as God told me we would.
On our way home, Gary said he wanted the last $200 from the ATM for the last money we would ever spend at a casino. If we couldn't win with all the money we spent, we would never win, and we would never go back.
That's when I knew the victory God promised wasn't a win at the casino, it was a win against the casino. At the end of our gambling spree, we won $925 more than we lost. Since we aren't going back, that's what we won, and that's what we'll keep.
Gary wanted to make one more stop on our way home to get a lottery ticket.
"After all the gambling and the decision to not return, do you really want to continue gambling with lottery tickets?" I asked.
He didn't buy a lottery ticket. Is it over for him? I don't know.
When we avoid traveling roads that can lead our flesh to dangerous places, our desires might go into hiding, but they don't go away. When God sends us into the fire of our addictions and other weaknesses, we must go. He will burn off the dross, clean us up nicely and get us ready for the next round.
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