When Eugene Peterson penned The Message paraphrase, he had no idea how his phrases in Psalm 107 would speak to fundraisers. Does this describe you? Are you in a fundraising desert “half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion?” Unfortunately, this describes many who raise funds. Asking for money is difficult and can be exhausting. Even the best fundraisers face dry spells and wonder why what they are doing is not producing results.
Hope
“Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God. He got you out in the nick of time;
He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live” (Psa. 107:6-7 MSG).
There is hope! Your financial condition might look desperate now, but you serve the living God – the “God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome” (Deut. 10:17). When you are in distress, you can call on him because he will answer you (see Psa. 86:7). Cry out to him, “because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people” (Isa. 43:21).
God’s Answer
So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat” (Psa. 107:4-9 MSG).
God’s answers to your fundraising challenges are perfect. If you need more donors, he can guide you to the right acquisition strategies. If you need more volunteers, he can lead faithful people to you. If you need a significant major gift, he can touch someone’s heart to say “Yes!” to your gift proposal. God can change your perspective and pull you out of your desperate condition. He can quench your thirst and satisfy your hunger. He can “put your feet on a wonderful road and take you straight to a good place to live” (vs. 9).
Timing
We give up too soon simply because we’re not getting the results we want right away. Learn to persevere. God’s timing is perfect. Often, he answers just in the nick of time! “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” (2 Chron. 15:7).
Think About This: Before launching his boats into the Delaware, George Washington read to the raiding party an excerpt from Thomas Paine’s pamphlet “The Crisis” published two days earlier. “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” What a great application to fundraising!
Response: Lord, help me trust you when I’m on the brink of exhaustion. Help me realize the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph for you.
Ron Haas has served the Lord as a pastor, the vice 
president of advancement of a Bible college, a Christian foundation director, a board member and a fundraising consultant. He’s authored three books: Ask for a Fish – Bold Faith-Based Fundraising, Simply Share – Bold, Grace-Based Giving, and Keep on Asking – Bold, Spirit-Led Fundraising. He regularly presents fundraising workshops at ministry conferences and has written fundraising articles for Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes magazine.
