'We knew God didn’t need our dollar, but we needed to demonstrate that we trusted Him with the little we had’
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need,”
Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT).
“You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so,” Psalm 65:9 (NLT).
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:19 (NLT).
It’s not how much you have that matters to the Lord. It’s the way in which you give—whether it’s volunteering your time, opening your home or donating to help others. I love hearing stories of those who have little, but give much! This demonstrates a strong faith in God’s provision—that the blessings we receive from giving can outweigh the gifts we give.
I remember one of our staffers sharing a story with us that demonstrates the power in giving, even when you have little. Our staffer and her husband were a young and growing family, and both had just completed their college degrees when they joined International Students, Inc. With two little girls at home, they had commitments to raise monthly support—so they lived very frugally. One night, after their outreach ministry, 14 Asian students that had gathered together for the outreach event, decided to spend the night at the family’s home to avoid complications involved with getting all of them home. After getting all the students settled in their modest home, the couple excused themselves to attend their mid-week church meeting. Our ministry friend continues the story; she writes:
“That night, the pastor spoke on the ‘widow’s mite,’ and we could easily relate. At home, we had nothing to serve the students for breakfast and no milk for our babies. Between us we scrounged up a dollar, designated for the milk, but mutually agreed that we would give God our ‘mite’ in the offering plate that night. We knew God didn’t need our dollar, but we needed to demonstrate that we trusted Him with the little we had. We had not shared our situation with anyone else, but as we walked out of the service that night, an elderly man we had never met, tapped my husband on the shoulder and said, ‘God told me to give this to you.’ A ten-dollar bill! How immediately God had provided! A couple weeks later, I shared this story at brunch at a local church. In response, I got a phone call from a family offering to pay for a bi-weekly milk service, straight to our home. Their only request was that we share Jesus with the milkman and his son. This gift continued for many years, until just after our youngest had left for college. Thousands of students from 115 countries around the world have come to our home for more than 19 years and heard the ‘milk story.’ And, in keeping with our part of the bargain, we faithfully shared Jesus with the milkman and his son every week.”
Friend, God knows exactly what you need and He will provide. I pray that the testimony, above, serves as encouragement for you, especially if you are in the midst of a major life struggle. Know that in all circumstances, “...your heavenly Father already knows all your needs,” as Scripture tells us in Matthew 6:32-33. The passage continues with reminding us that God does not want our perfection. He just wants us. He wants us to actively pursue Him: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”
Scripture tells us that He will provide for us through His glorious riches:
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:19 (NLT).
Friend, I encourage you to stay tuned in to what He is calling you to do. Listen to His voice and remember that God seldom does things the way we expect Him to do.
For More Information
An ISI Ministry Representative is a person who may be both a volunteer and a Friendship Partner®, but who works directly under the supervision of local ISI staff. Their work ranges from direct ministry and evangelism to roles which assist ISI’s efforts to mobilize and train Americans in local churches. If this sounds like something God is calling you to do, learn more here.
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need,”
Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT).
“You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so,” Psalm 65:9 (NLT).
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:19 (NLT).
It’s not how much you have that matters to the Lord. It’s the way in which you give—whether it’s volunteering your time, opening your home or donating to help others. I love hearing stories of those who have little, but give much! This demonstrates a strong faith in God’s provision—that the blessings we receive from giving can outweigh the gifts we give.
I remember one of our staffers sharing a story with us that demonstrates the power in giving, even when you have little. Our staffer and her husband were a young and growing family, and both had just completed their college degrees when they joined International Students, Inc. With two little girls at home, they had commitments to raise monthly support—so they lived very frugally. One night, after their outreach ministry, 14 Asian students that had gathered together for the outreach event, decided to spend the night at the family’s home to avoid complications involved with getting all of them home. After getting all the students settled in their modest home, the couple excused themselves to attend their mid-week church meeting. Our ministry friend continues the story; she writes:
“That night, the pastor spoke on the ‘widow’s mite,’ and we could easily relate. At home, we had nothing to serve the students for breakfast and no milk for our babies. Between us we scrounged up a dollar, designated for the milk, but mutually agreed that we would give God our ‘mite’ in the offering plate that night. We knew God didn’t need our dollar, but we needed to demonstrate that we trusted Him with the little we had. We had not shared our situation with anyone else, but as we walked out of the service that night, an elderly man we had never met, tapped my husband on the shoulder and said, ‘God told me to give this to you.’ A ten-dollar bill! How immediately God had provided! A couple weeks later, I shared this story at brunch at a local church. In response, I got a phone call from a family offering to pay for a bi-weekly milk service, straight to our home. Their only request was that we share Jesus with the milkman and his son. This gift continued for many years, until just after our youngest had left for college. Thousands of students from 115 countries around the world have come to our home for more than 19 years and heard the ‘milk story.’ And, in keeping with our part of the bargain, we faithfully shared Jesus with the milkman and his son every week.”
Friend, God knows exactly what you need and He will provide. I pray that the testimony, above, serves as encouragement for you, especially if you are in the midst of a major life struggle. Know that in all circumstances, “...your heavenly Father already knows all your needs,” as Scripture tells us in Matthew 6:32-33. The passage continues with reminding us that God does not want our perfection. He just wants us. He wants us to actively pursue Him: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”
Scripture tells us that He will provide for us through His glorious riches:
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:19 (NLT).
Friend, I encourage you to stay tuned in to what He is calling you to do. Listen to His voice and remember that God seldom does things the way we expect Him to do.
For More Information
An ISI Ministry Representative is a person who may be both a volunteer and a Friendship Partner®, but who works directly under the supervision of local ISI staff. Their work ranges from direct ministry and evangelism to roles which assist ISI’s efforts to mobilize and train Americans in local churches. If this sounds like something God is calling you to do, learn more here.
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