Basilea Schlink teaches that living in childlike dependence on God as a loving Father leads to experiencing His miraculous provision and daily blessings.
In this heartfelt testimony, Basilea Schlink shares the profound experience of the Lutheran Evangelical Sisterhood as they faced financial hardship and witnessed God's miraculous provision. She challenges believers to embrace childlike dependence on God, trusting Him as a loving Father who cares for every need. Drawing from Scripture and personal experience, Basilea encourages faith in God's daily blessings and invites listeners to find peace in His faithful care.
Full Transcript
God lives and works today. Do these words resound throughout our daily life because we experience his provision in the smallest details? If you long to experience God as a Father, who is always ready to give good gifts to his children, listen to the testimony taken from the experiences of the Lutheran Evangelical Sisterhood, whose home is on the little land of Canaan in Darmstadt, Germany. We sisters were facing a time of great financial difficulty.
It was near the end of the month, and bills amounting to $1,250 had to be paid on the 30th. And yet, at the last minute, God not only provided the necessary money in a miraculous way, but also provided the money for a very much needed garden machine, which we had prayed about for a long time. At that time, Mother Basilea was gripped by a desire to become still more dependent on the Father in Heaven, to become still poorer, in order to give him more opportunities to glorify himself.
So many people no longer look upon God as the Father, nor expect anything from him. In our times, perhaps as in none before, there is a tendency towards independence, materialism, and godlessness. Mother Basilea felt impelled to live in total childlike dependence on him.
It was as though God was drawing us to a way of life totally opposite from the spirit of our times. We were to be like the birds of the air, which Jesus talks about in Matthew 6.26, and yet the Heavenly Father feeds them. And so it became clear that our daily meals should be prepared from food that would be given to us, plus the harvest from our own garden.
God has dealt with us through the years in many situations. We had experienced how he pours out his blessings when we wait upon him and expect everything from him. Now we were to experience an even fuller measure of blessing.
This meant that we had to trust him in more areas of our life. We had to become even more dependent upon him. And so we started out on this pathway, seeking wherever we could to use all our money for the kingdom of God and not for food and personal needs.
In this way, he would receive the greatest glory from us. We have gone this way now for many years and have experienced the Heavenly Father's blessings day by day. We've actually been fed from the Father's hand, like the birds of the air.
And so we want to testify to his goodness. Especially we would like to help strengthen the faith of those whose hearts are full of anxiety at the thought of coming distress or times of famine. As Isaiah 64, verse 4 says, we have a God who works for those who wait for him.
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Sermon Outline
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I
- Introduction to God's active work today
- Testimony of financial difficulty faced by the Sisterhood
- God's miraculous provision in times of need
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II
- Mother Basilea's desire for deeper dependence on God
- Contrast between worldly independence and childlike trust
- Living like the birds of the air, trusting God for daily needs
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III
- Experiencing blessings through waiting and trusting God
- Using resources for God's kingdom rather than personal needs
- Encouragement to those anxious about future hardships
Key Quotes
“God lives and works today.” — Basilea Schlink
“We have actually been fed from the Father's hand, like the birds of the air.” — Basilea Schlink
“We have a God who works for those who wait for him.” — Basilea Schlink
Application Points
- Trust God daily for your needs, just as the birds of the air do.
- Practice childlike dependence by surrendering control and expecting God's provision.
- Use your resources to further God's kingdom rather than focusing solely on personal comfort.
