WHEN GOD CALLS?
What do you do when God calls you to do something, but you don’t have the resources to do it? I can think of three possible responses:
- I can’t do it; I probably misunderstood—God would never ask me to begin something without the resources to finish.
- I know He wants me to do it, but this isn’t the right time—I’ll begin when all the money I’ll need is in the bank.
- I’ll begin working now with what I have, and trust God to provide what I’ll need when it’s needed.
Which answer would you give? 1, 2, or 3? That was the dilemma Cindy, Ben, and I faced in the fall of 2009.
SEPTEMBER CONNECTION
It began on a beautiful September morning. My “devotional time” became a unique, extended “connection time.” I knew God was with me. His presence and love overwhelmed me. I felt directly linked to Him. Yes, I know God is always with us. He never leaves or forsakes us. He’s omnipresent. He’s always there, but I’m often unaware. That day was different.
I left my early-morning prayer closet and headed for my office at Christian Fellowship Baptist Church (CFBC), Londonderry, NH. As I drove, God’s goodness continued to overwhelm me. Rather than listening to a CD (my usual habit during the 40-minute drive), I prayed and sang praises to the Lord. Near my exit off I-93 South, God’s presence and blessings became overpowering. I couldn’t continue. I pulled off the side of the interstate to spend more time in prayer. I praised God for my wife and my son. I praised Him for our church and all He was doing through us; we were enjoying a special period of blessings. After several minutes of sweet worship, continuing seemed appropriate and possible.
As I pulled back onto I-93, another thought stunned me. It was as startling as a thunderclap from a clear sky; it reverberated through my mind.
“Mark, you are too comfortable!”
I said aloud, “Lord, I like being comfortable. Cindy and I have done our time of living on the edge. It’s somebody else’s turn. You are blessing our ministry. Besides, now we have to think of Ben. I really do enjoy the life You’ve given me? Comfortable is good.”
OCTOBER CALL
The nagging thought didn’t go away the entire month of September, but I wasn’t sure why. As the New England leaves neared their brilliant, colorful October-peak, I finally gathered the courage to ask, “Lord, if I’m too comfortable, what do You want me to do?”
The answer, one I did not want to hear, wasn’t long in coming. The Lord called me to launch Northeastern Baptist College. It was a terrifying idea. All month I struggled, negotiated, and resisted. I didn’t even tell Cindy until the last week of October. I now realize I was afraid even to verbalize my thoughts.
Throughout the month of emotional wrestling, I offered as many excuses as Moses did when God called him to confront Pharaoh. As clearly as I could, I reminded the Lord of my lack of resources.
“I know we need a Baptist College in New England,” I said. “I realize its impact could be huge. Someone ought to do it when the time’s right. I’ll help them all I can. But don’t ask me, Lord. I can’t. I don’t have any money, I don’t know anyone who has any money, and my ‘good looks’ sure won’t attract any money. By the way, do You realize an accredited college requires mountains of money?”
Did you notice the dominant theme of my excuses?
HAGGAI’S CONTRIBUTION
What should you do when the Lord leads you to do something big, but you have no resources? Thankfully, Haggai gives us guidance.
Haggai reminded God’s people in Jerusalem of God’s call to rebuild the temple. They should have done it when they returned from Babylon, 16 years earlier. Other priorities distracted them. Now times were hard. Crops were failing, the climate had changed, and their clothes wouldn’t keep them warm.
God knew their excuses: “Have you noticed our situation? Things are desperate. We don’t have the resources. We want to rebuild, but we can’t. Now isn’t a good time.”
Haggai pre-empted their excuses. He said, “Consider your ways” (1:5, 7). Stop and think. He reviewed their economic hardships (1:6), and informed them that the Lord had depleted their resources. Why? Their priorities were misplaced. Instead of using what they had to obey God’s call [rebuild the temple], they built the finest houses possible for themselves and God’s temple was left in ruins (1:9). Their hardships were the consequence of their disobedience (1:9-11).
What were they to do? “Go up to the mountains and bring wood, and build the temple, that I may be glorified, says the LORD” (1:8). God’s answer to the Jerusalem residents in 520 B.C. applies to you and me as well. If God leads you to do something, but you don’t have the resources to accomplish the task, follow God’s three-step course of action: obey two commands; celebrate one cause.
THREE-STEP COURSE
First, gather the resources. Is that surprising? A lack of resources is the problem. How do we gather what we don’t have?
When we focus on what we don’t have, we fail to see what we do have. From the Temple Mount, the Mount of Olives was visible. It was just a short distance across the Kidron Valley. It was covered with trees, but they didn’t notice the available resources. Their focus on what they didn’t have (silver and gold to overlay the wood) blinded them to what they did have (plenty of beams and lumber). The Lord responded to the need for silver and gold a couple of months later, but not at first. He wanted them to gather what they had, and trust Him for what they did not have.
Second, start working. The second command is, “… and build the temple.” Don’t wait to start until you have all the 
resources to finish. Obey in faith now. Work with the little. Trust Him for the much. Build with the lumber you have. Trust Him for the gold and silver you don’t have.
Often, we do the opposite. We’re disobedient, but imagine we’re waiting on God. We say, “Ok, Lord, we’ll do what You asked, if You’ll give us everything we need. We’re ready to start as soon as it’s all in the bank.” The Father rarely operates that way. Scan the Scriptures and you’ll find that He calls people to work with what they have, trusting Him for the rest. When He provides the difference, He gets the glory—which brings us to the cause.
Third, give Him the glory. “…that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the LORD.” God is pleased and glorified when His children gather the resources they have, put them to work, and trust Him for the rest. That is what He called Israel to do, and what He calls you and me to do.
MY CONFESSION
I finally confessed to Cindy about struggling with the Lord’s call for a month. I also told my friend, Marvin Jones. With their encouragement, I surrendered: “Lord, I’ll do it.” Even so, within a couple of days, fear assaulted me.
It came to a head on October 28, 2009. I asked Sherrill and Harv, my sister and brother-in-law, to ride to D. L. Moody’s birthplace and gravesite with us. On the way, we told them about our decision to obey God’s call. We intended to pray about establishing NEBC at the Moody site.
MY RE-CALCULATION
Just before we began to pray, I looked at Cindy and said, “I can’t pray! You stay here with Sherrill and Harv. Ben and I are going for a walk.”
With Ben’s hand in mine, we headed down the hill and sat on a park bench. I held my young son close and prayed, “Father, I’m sorry. I can’t do this. You know I don’t have the money to start a college. I can’t be a good dad without money to care for Ben, either. Cindy and I have sacrificed to serve many times, but now it’s different. We have to care for Ben. The money just isn’t there.”
MY CHANGED HEART
In a still small voice, the answer came. “Mark, do you really think you love Ben, more than I do?”
I laughed. I cried. I said, “Please forgive me Lord. You love Ben more than I ever could. You promised to care for him, Cindy, and me. Everything we have is Yours. We’ll take what You give us, put it to work, and trust You for the rest.”
THE FATHER’S CONFIRMATION
I’ve discovered that what was true for Haggai and his people, is true for me. The 59 students who began classes 2 weeks ago are my evidence. And that’s not all. Ben is now a growing teenager, and he hasn’t missed a meal yet.
What was true for Haggai and his people is also true for you. When the Father calls you to do something for His glory, take what you have, put it to work, and trust Him for the rest. He’ll be pleased and glorified, and isn’t that your ultimate goal?
With Great Anticipation,
Mark H. Ballard