Where do you get your funds?

Budget time rolls around quickly, doesn’t it? We plan, we figure, compute the costs, and we make our plans to come up with the needed funds. While this process isn’t always the most fun, it is necessary and important. Many have said it…if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!

As Christian ministries and organizations, I believe God expects us to diligently plan and prepare. However, we have a supernatural resource we can look to in order to meet our needs.

In my Bible reading the other morning I came across a passage…a little slice-of-life story…that underscores this truth.

In Matthew 17, Peter was confronted by a tax collector. The temple tax was due. When Peter came to Jesus to talk with Him about it, Jesus gave Peter instructions on how to get the needed funds. I can imagine Peter just staring at Jesus as if to say, “What?” Do you remember those instructions?

[blockquote author=”Matthew 17:27b (NLT)” link=”” target=”_blank”]…go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.[/blockquote]

The Bible account of the story ends there, but can’t you see Peter. He grabs a pole and heads to the lake. And sure enough, the first fish he pulls out had a four-drachma coin in its mouth, just exactly what was needed for the temple tax for Jesus and Peter. In my imagination, I can see Peter beginning to laugh, maybe falling down on the shore with growing laughter. Then, realizing what had just happened, Peter gets up, and returns to Jesus with worship and praise in his heart.

Now, before you go out to buy a fishing rod, look at the principle. Jesus was saying, “You have a need, I have the resources to meet that need.” And I think that is what the Lord wants us to realize, too. His resources are sufficient. We can depend on Him.

There is a beautiful hymn that speaks of this. And though the hymn writer talks of strength and endurance, I think we can make the application to all areas of our lives and our needs.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

It is probably good to note that there isn’t an account of that miracle happening again and again. I suspect Peter and the others had to come up with the temple tax other ways at times. But they had a great illustration of the supernatural storehouse of riches that the Lord has for us in our time of need.

Infinite riches in Jesus. God’s resources are never ending…and He wants to give, and give, and give again.