“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” – 1 Timothy 6:17
As we near the end of our 18th year of ministry later this month I am constantly reminded of God’s provision for our ministry and family. As a ministry, we have relied on donations to train and equip pastors and church leaders globally. Those donations cover our own travel costs, funding for our global trainers, and our administrative expenses. They also provide an income for our family as well. And throughout our 18 years God has never failed to provide for us or our ministry! We put our trust in Him and He has proven faithful!
Hudson Taylor, a British missionary to China in the1800’s, is credited with the famous saying that “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” It is a testimony to the faithfulness of God that He alone takes care of our needs and provides for our ministries. We are often tempted to think that we are responsible for what we receive through our superior fundraising skills or our extensive network of relationships with people of means. But that is not true at all. It is God working through the Holy Spirit that causes people to give or donate to ministries. And although we must still do our part of informing and asking for financial donations, it is really the Holy Spirit that causes other people to give according to God’s holy and perfect will and desire.
We faced a big challenge to our trust in God’s provision when I felt the call to work full-time in this ministry in 2005. The Lord had been growing our ministry and leading me to do more training in more places, thus requiring more of my time to train and travel and less time for income earning work. Up until then we only needed to raise funds for our travel and training for a couple of trips a year. Now I had to raise an income to help support our family as well as additional funds for more travel and training. He was asking me to step out in faith and to trust in His provision alone. I had been working for years in professional jobs and so having to rely on fundraising alone was a bit daunting. But I felt the Holy Spirit calling me to full-time ministry and so we trusted Him to provide.
At that time, we had recently opened up an account with a new local bank that was started by a Christian. He wanted to run his bank on Christian principles and had established a Foundation (from their profits) to give grants to local ministries. So I went to the bank and asked to speak to the President about a grant. When I mentioned that God was also calling me into full-time ministry he immediately said their Foundation would support us and told me to prepare and submit a grant request to him for what we needed. He also pulled out his personal checkbook and wrote a check to us for $1,000 and committed to also supporting our ministry in that amount for the next 12 months! He paraphrased 1 Timothy 5:17-18 to me which says that “those who work for the Lord are worthy of a double honor” and that the “the worker deserves his wages.” I was stunned! God not only provided for our ministry but also did it rather quickly and in a big way!
Shortly thereafter I was training at a Bible School in Almaty, Kazakhstan and teaching on fundraising. In the teaching I had shared how I was now working in this ministry full-time and had to raise funds for my income. One of the students asked me if it was easier or harder for me now to rely on God’s provision solely as compared to earning an income with a job. I thought about it for a minute and then I said it was actually easier. He asked me why? I explained that when I earned a paycheck, I thought it was because of what I did to earn it. But in reality, it was always God’s provision whether I worked for it or not. I had the illusion that it was my effort that produced the income instead of God providing the income through my efforts. Realizing now that God was always the sole provider allowed me to “eliminate the middle man” (my employer) and to trust directly in the true source – God!
I have also seen God provide for others. One individual I had asked to go on a mission trip with me readily agreed to go. He said he needed to raise funds for his trip cost and began that process. About a month before we were to leave he had only received about half of the amount of money he needed to go and was ready to back out of the trip. I asked him 2 questions. First, did he believe God had called him to go on this trip? He said yes. I then asked him if he trusted in God to provide what he needed for the trip? He again said yes. So I just said to trust in God and He will provide. And God did provide, with the final amount he needed coming the day before we left! It is reminiscent of the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis where God provided a ram at the last minute because of Abraham’s trust and obedience. That place on the mountain is also called “The Lord will Provide!” (Genesis 22:14)
I have experienced the truth of Hudson Taylor’s quote many times, both positively and negatively. For example, there have been occasions when I was not able to raise the funds that were needed for a trip and so I did not go. In those cases I believe the trip was not in God’s will and thus did not have His provision. So we must always be willing to trust God and accept that whatever the outcome it is always according to His will.
As we begin 2019, let us all resolve to seek his will for all we do in His name and to trust in God’s provision for all of our needs! To God alone be the glory!