When Your Back's to the Wall

Isn’t it interesting that as people, we really pray and put our dependence on God when our backs are against the wall. With the current global economy, this is one of those times. I believe the Lord is teaching our world, our nations, our organizations and our churches that success is not about how smart we are in making budgets and raising funds. In fact, it’s not about money after all. God is humbling us to realize it’s not about us … it’s about Him and His kingdom.

I’d rather write happy, optimistic messages of victory and blessing. However, just as we celebrate victories we must also acknowledge hardships. We’re seeing an accelerated drop in donations as of the first five months of our fiscal year. We do have other sources of income. However, donor income is at the center of our funding model and provides us with the cash flow we need to fund operations and projects around the globe.

When Moses was literally “between the devil and the deep blue sea,” he prayed. And then gave this word of encouragement to his people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today” (Exodus 14:13, NIV).

Wednesday, March 4, is our Global Day of Prayer. Once again, I call on our people to spend significant time on prayer, declaring our dependence on the Lord, not the economy. I would even encourage our people to fast and pray. You may decide to fast from solid food, from meat or from desserts. Or you may choose to fast from television, Facebook or e-mail (I like that last one!).

In addition to trusting God, we must take preemptive action. After His prayer, God told Moses basically to stop praying and get moving. So I’m calling our HCJB Global leadership to continue to travel light. We’re looking at every expense, every line item, every purchase, every trip and every project to determine whether this expense is core to our ministry and strategic for our future. We’re going to continue to be responsible stewards of the resources God has given us in the way we spend our finances.

Meanwhile, your Mobilization Team is working hard to connect with our partners, our donors and foundations to keep the vision and mission of HCJB Global at the forefront of their thinking, praying and giving.

I received this note from Mark Kerk, who works in the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart:

“In Elkhart county today more than 15 percent are out of work. Of the 85 percent that are working, it is said that less than 10 percent are challenged and fulfilled by their job. We must understand that God provides the challenge and fulfillment, and then the blessing with our obedience.”

We need to put our faith and our trust in God alone. He alone is worthy of our trust and our hope. We must understand that our friends and co-workers will disappoint us. Technology will fail us. Computers and computer programs are destined to fail, and we cannot put our hope in them.

I have been guilty of putting my trust in others things. Today I choose to move it back to where it must be—my everlasting God. I pray that our organization will continue to place its trust in God alone.

Curt Cole sent me this proverb from the Dagbani tribe in Ghana, “If God breaks your leg, He will teach you how to limp.”

The apostle Paul said it this way:

“… for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13, NIV).

As we pray for God to open the gates of heaven for our financial situation, may we also ask Him to show us how to live in need, of being content in any situation—whether in plenty or in want.

Wayne Pederson

HCJB Global