“The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed”
– Exodus 16:17-18
When God led Israel out of Egypt, there could remain not doubt in the minds of the Egyptians and the Israelites that it was God himself who orchestrated their departure. God caused Pharaoh to let them go. God caused the Red Sea to open a path for their escape. God provided for them in the desert, too.
In some ways this story of God’s provision reminds me of our own experience in 2009. We were not exactly “stuck in a desert” with no food or water. Yet we did begin the year with a lot of angst in the global economic turmoil. Non-profit organizations across the country were more than a little concerned. Looking back at the end of the year, however, I think you could cay that God blessed our fellowship in a wonderful way. Like the Israelites, we too can say with gratitude that we did not receive too much – or too little.
Donations received for work and ministry projects in 2009 were just a little less than those received in 2008. I am certain that many of our projects could have used more funding, but I don’t think that any of our ministries can claim to have received too little. God in his wisdom provided for all of our ministries financially – an in countless other ways as well. By the grace of God, all work and ministry projects were able to continue to fulfill their part in God’s global mission.
Our missionaries had much the same experience. Allowances were not ideal. Some missionaries received only 77 percent of their target allowance in 2009. Over the course of the year, more than $130,000 in missionary allowances were not paid due to a shortage of funds. I am sure that more allowances would have been a blessing to our missionaries, but we did not receive too little. Even before any allowances are paid, our missionaries received housing and health insurance paid for in full. Our missionaries are like the children of Israel – they gathered not too much, and in no way too little.
When the Israelites received manna from heaven, they know it was a gift form the hand of God. We feel the same about all of the resources we receive. Our Handbook says that all contributions received by the Prayer League are recognized as being prompted by the Holy Spirit (Paragraph 109). How can we receive too little from the Holy Spirit of God? God did provide for our fellowship in 2009. And the Lord’s supply is always equal to our need.