God Knows - to the Exact Penny, a story by Eldon Salisbury

Eldon shares a true story about his Uncle Melton, a well-to-do farmer who lives in Moscow, ID, and who loves the Lord. 

The little Nazarene Church in Moscow that my uncle attends was in dire need of a new building as they were outgrowing the old one.  The congregation was asked by the board members to pray, asking the Lord what He would lay on their hearts to pledge for the new building program.  

Melton and his wife, Ester, began praying and felt Him leading them to give $50,000 to the building program.  The board left it to all those members and friends to tell what their pledge was, knowing that six months later the pledges would come due.  Needless to say my uncle felt very sure that they could afford their pledge at the time it was made. However, as the time came closer to put the money up, the family had come on hard times and the price of wheat had dropped off to the point that they were barely able to keep their household going.  Time after time, as Melton came home to eat lunch, he would turn on the radio to see what and where the wheat prices were moving.  He had a storage bin full of wheat that he was planning to use for his pledge.  The days and weeks drew closer to pledge payment time. One noon Melton came home and, turning on the radio, heard that the price of wheat was “through the roof,” which means the price had shot up and was at a point where he believed he could sell the grain as planned. 

He immediately called the buyers and told them to “Sell! Sell! Sell!”  After trucking all the wheat in and selling it, he went into the office to get the check and the guy in charge said to him, “Melton, you are without a doubt the luckiest person on the face of the earth!”  Eldon’s uncle asked the clerk why he “happened” to be so lucky. The guy replied, “Do you know
how long the price was at that high point”? Melton said “No, I don’t.” The guy in charge said, “Melton, that price was only at that high point for 15 seconds! That is why I am saying you are the luckiest guy in the whole world!”

Eldon’s uncle said, “I don’t think luck had anything to do with it because Somebody else is in charge of my life and He controls everything I do and receive”.  At that point the clerk handed him the check. Melton looked at it and realized another startling thing had happened.  The total amount of the check, including dollars and cents, was exactly $50,000—to the penny!

Eldon says, “My uncle told me this story as we were ready to expand our church and it really brought home to me how God is totally in control of our lives in everything we do.  He wants us to step out in faith and to ‘keep on keeping on’ here on earth in His work.  

“Needless to say, the Moscow Nazarene Church is averaging about 1,000 people every Sunday and even many more in outreach ministries in that community.  

“You know $50,000 is a lot of money and the Lord does not expect everyone to give that much to the church for building, but He does have an amount in mind for us and He will let us know what it is if we truly seek Him in prayer and step out in faith,” Eldon continued.  

“God is still in control of our lives and of our pocket book—even to the exact penny.”