God’s Little Missionary

Proverbs 3:9&10 says, “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

On top of a little hill east of Spokane, Washington, lies the Orchard Prairie Cemetery. Like many small cemeteries, it is unknown except to the people who have a loved one buried there. My brother’s grave is there—along with Mom’s and Dad’s. Bobby was the first to die at age 10. A little marble headstone was placed on his grave with the words “God’s Little Missionary” engraved on the foundation. That was sixty-four years ago. What does that have to do with honoring God with your substance? I alone am left of our family to tell you.

It was on his way to school, riding his bicycle, that Bobby was hit by a car and died the next day in Mom’s arms. This would break any family’s heart. The driver of the car, whose name I still remember, had alcohol on his breath. Instead of thinking of suing as some might, Mom and Dad went to his door. They introduced themselves, and watching him shaking, they told him that they loved him and forgave him and that God loves him.

There was money involved. Bobby was covered with an insurance policy of $10,000. In a time when you could buy a new car for under $3,000, Mom and Dad wanted to give the money to have a chapel built in Nicaragua, along with a medical dispensary. The chapel was named, “Bobby Coleman Memorial Chapel.”

In II Kings chapter 4, we see four miracles of Elisha: the pot of oil being multiplied, the raising from the dead of the Shunammite boy, the cleansing of the poison pot, and the multiplying of the bread and corn. These miracles all answered the needs of men. God knows all about our needs. He likes to supply our needs. 

Why did Jesus say to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread?” We could ask annually. Why do we need to ask at all? Why doesn’t He just give it to us? It is because He wants a daily relationship with us.

Honoring God with our substance—with the firstfruits of our increase—acknowledges that God will supply our needs. To hold on to our increase is to leave God out of our lives. With this attitude we miss God’s blessing. 

Let’s look for a moment at the widow who cast two mites into the offering (Luke 21:1-4). We know that she gave all of her living money. How did she live after that? I believe God richly blessed her. Were her barns full and her presses pouring out new wine? Someday in heaven we will know the answer. No doubt her act, noted by Jesus and recorded in the Scriptures, has gone around the world to teach people to trust God with a giving heart.

The 10,000 dollars given in Bobby’s name was not a one-time act. Larry and June believed in giving to missions. God continued to bless them. Like them, many people have found the joyful blessing of giving beyond the firstfruits of their increase. At the end of their lives they were able to give $300,000 to missions as the firstfruits of their increase. Their desire was that the barns of heaven would be full of redeemed souls and the Holy Spirit would be shed abroad as new wine. Who knows how many people came to know Jesus and the Holy Spirit because of God’s Little Missionary!