Mission Money
When I was living and working in Mexico, I would have to occasionally leave Mexico to go to the US for a few days. This was for legal reasons as well as practical reasons. One time, in the US, I was the “guest of honor” at someone's home. They invited some other people and had me speak to them.
After the meeting, we were milling around and talking. A woman asked if she cold speak with me. I found a place at the side of the living room. She began looking around, left then right then left again. She got me doing it. I began looking around also. I did not know what we were looking for. After a while she said, in a very quiet voice, “ I have come into some money”.
“Well, that's nice” I said, “congratulations.”
After being very conscious that our conversation might have been overheard, she almost whispered into the floor, “I would like to make a donation to your ministry.”
I, quietly, told her how to make a donation. It was just the smallest bit complex since it had to go to the missions agency which would forward it to me. We ended our secret conversation.
A few weeks later, in Mexico, I got a notice from the mission agency. There had been a gift given by a new donor. There was a deposit in my account for $30. No, that was not thirty thousand dollars, but 30. I was very appreciative for the gift but she had built my expectations up with all the secrecy. I was expecting something like what you readers may have been expecting me to say. Still, the gift made me thankful.
On a different occasion, I had the opportunity to travel to another country to minister at a special series of events. It was probably to Cuba or Brazil, I do not remember. I was living in the US at the time. I figured I need $2500 for the trip expenses. I prayed very specifically that God would supply $2500. There was another request that I made. I asked that God would speak clearly to some people to give the needed amount of money. I had not told anyone of the ministry trip or of the money I needed.
Several people came to me over the next couple weeks to tell me something amazing. Almost breathless, they told me that they had heard the voice of God! These were all people who had never experienced such a thing. Nor did they previously believe that such a thing were even possible.
Almost annoyed, I asked each one, “What did He say?”, because I already knew.
One person told me that God told them to give Dave (me) X amount of money. Separately, another person told me that God said to give Dave X number of dollars. When I totaled everything that all the people, individually, had told me what God said to them, it equaled exactly $2500. Beyond amazing!
Even more amazing than any of that, not a dime came in.
Many times, we want to hear the voice of God. We have no intention of doing the word of God, we just would like to hear it. The suspense is killing us.
I had already committed to the trip so I had to go. I had to borrow the money and go into debt. All the while, God had provided for every cent. He did everything that He could do, short of counterfeiting bills and making cash rain out of the sky.
“They're missionaries. God will take care of them.”
He would really like to. People do not take their responsibility seriously, the people that should go as well as the people that should send. Take your responsibility seriously, whatever God may say to you.
Nov. 14, 2023