A Promise Saved Their House

Jackie and Steve Bentz were excited about their move to Florida in 1996. Steve was starting a new job as a finance manager for a technology company in Tallahassee, and the couple had bought a farm,  Jackie’s childhood dream.  But just shy of a year on the job, Steve was let go.  

“We weren’t prepared, you know, as so many people aren’t. We weren’t prepared for an emergency situation like that. And it got really bad,” said Jackie.

“My life was a train wreck.  I looked for work and there was just nothing to be had,” said Steve.   

With Steve’s unemployment check as their only steady income, the family used credit cards and even started selling possessions to get by.  But each month they got further behind on their mortgage.

“ Losing my home was my biggest fear. And security is really important to me. If other things went, that was one thing. But the losing the house would’ve been the worst thing,” Jackie said. Then one evening she was at a church service, when it dawned on her that they hadn’t been tithing.  “And I sensed the Lord impress upon me that I needed to make a covenant with Him. He impressed me that if I brought my tithe, that He would always make sure my mortgage was paid.”

Jackie gave that night and convinced Steve they needed to tithe on everything, including his unemployment checks.  He admits it took time for him to trust God.

“I said God, if You want me to give this money today, You show me that I’m supposed to give this money today. And there’d be something that day. So it was like, yes we can trust Him on this,” said Steve.

They still faced challenges, but were encouraged every time they had the money to pay their mortgage.  “I’m not sure how God did it. There was no paycheck. There was no specific way to bring in money. But every month it was there. It’s amazing,” said Jackie.

Steve had been out of work six months when he landed an accounting job at a state college, just before unemployment benefits ran out. “Absolutely I know it came from God just because it was –it was too perfect.  It’s interesting how God makes what looks like a bad situation into a really good situation, but it was because we started paying attention and putting Him first,” said Steve.

And working at the college opened the door for Steve to get his engineering degree, which led to a higher paying job. The couple paid off their credit card debt and also started giving beyond their tithe.   In 2003, they became CBN partners.

“You plant the seed where it’s going to grow. And The 700 Club has a proven track record. They’re helping people and getting God’s word out there,” said Steve.

The Bentz’s are thankful for God’s faithfulness.

“God says test Me in this. And we’ve tested Him and He never fails. He’s always there. That to me is proof positive,” said Steve.