Many years ago, it never occurred to me that missionaries have to raise financial support for the work that they do. For me, it was not an issue of refusing to support a missionary, but simply an ignorance of their need. As you study the Scriptures, there are moments where something stands out like stepping on a nail. It impacts you. A number of years ago I was reading in 1 Samuel 30.

David and his men were returning from the land of the Philistines. When they arrived at their camp in Ziklag, they made a shocking discovery. The Amalekites had come and taken their women, children, and spoil from the camp. There was nobody there to defend it from the invaders. When they returned, David sought the Lord and he was told that victory would be given. As David with his six hundred men began to pursue the Amalekites, two hundred of his men stayed behind. David told them to stay with the supplies while the rest went on to fight against the Amalekites. In the fight David and his men were victorious and returned with all they had lost. When they returned, David said in 1 Samuel 30:24, “As his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.”

The person who has gone to battle and the person who stays behind and guards the supplies both share in the fruit of the work. If this was true for David and his men, it is true for us today. Some go out to battle on foreign soil (the mission field) and some stay with the supplies. They are not able to physically go to battle. In David’s case, the men were weary. But in our case, imagine if everyone went to be on the mission field, then who would support who? Somebody has to stay by the supply lines.

Neil Pirolo in his book Serving As Senders says that in World War II, for every soldier fighting on the field, there were some nine soldiers supporting him in the line of communication. When the war is won, they all receive victory. They all participate. A paratrooper could not land behind the Nazi lines in Normandy if there was nobody to fly the plane, nobody to repair the plane, nobody to get him from US soil to British soil, and nobody to train him.

Those who participate in a ministry reap from that ministry. In a sense, it is like providing the seed for the Sower. Paul speaking to the Philippians said in chapter four that through their financial support, the fruit of the ministry would abound to their account. Supporting a missionary is much more than supplying their needs so they can minister. More than supporting the missionary, you are supporting that ministry. But it is also the supporter investing in their treasure in heaven as they give to the Lord. Their ministry becomes your ministry as well. Maybe you cannot go around the world to preach the Gospel and make disciples, but that doesn’t disqualify you from being involved in missions work. You can be effective in a place thousands of miles away from you, because as you are giving, you are partaking. The same is true with prayer. As we pray one for another, the results of our prayers are accredited to our account.

My motive for writing this is because many Christians have a concern for the billions who do not know Christ; the problem is they lack opportunity. They think, “What can I do to help?” In Philippians 4 we see the believers in Philippi supported Paul financially while he was in Thessalonica. In verse 10 Paul said, “You cared, but now you have an opportunity to express that care.”

I hope you are encouraged to labor in prayer for the Gospel as it goes forth. If God has shown you that you should be supporting a missionary, then my encouragement is to go before the Lord in prayer that He would show you who He wants you to support. Remember that the fruit abounds to your account, so be blessed!