Have
you ever gotten discouraged, because you see little fruit from your spiritual
labors? I have…I lift Jesus up so that He can draw everyone to Himself; and yet
they walk away unchanged.
Of
course, I question myself when they refuse to believe in Jesus: Am I failing
God in some way? Am I harboring some secret sin? Am I lacking in devotion and
focus? I grill myself endlessly with these and many other questions.
My
husband is a Pastor, and we often wonder how we can change our ministry, or add
something that we are missing, in order to be more effective for God's Kingdom.
God
pointed out to him that the sower scattered the seed as God intended Him to do,
but only one-fourth of that seed fell on tilled, fertile soil. That means that
three-fourths of the seed, which he broadcasted, bore no fruit at all.
This
realization took a great deal of striving out of our life, because "unless
the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1). We also
studied the life of Jesus and realized that He, as God incarnate, had very little
success in drawing people to eternal life.
The
multitudes that He preached to actually walked away from Him without repenting
(John 6:67). Jesus even questioned His disciples, "Will you leave me
also?"
However,
they experienced the life-giving qualities of Jesus on a daily basis; and they knew
without a doubt that only He, as God personified, held the words of eternal
life (John 6:68).
My
husband and I daily attempt to walk by the direction of God's Spirit, and to
use His courage in us to approach friends, family, and even strangers in the store or on the
street with an encouraging word that God loves them and has a perfect plan for
their life (Ephesians 2:10).
Prayer:
Father
God, You call us to speak truth, but the results are not our responsibility. Thank You
for giving us Your boldness to offer to pray, right in the aisles of the
department store, for perfect strangers who give us their permission to take
their burdens, needs and concerns to You. Only You possess all of the issues of
life in Your hands (Colossians 1:17).
You
hold us accountable for allowing You to work through us to save the lost in
this desperate and dying world all around us (Ezekiel 3:18). Help us to hear
Your Spirit's direction and to willingly submit to Your will for each moment of
our life. We give You the praise and the glory for all that You accomplish in
and through our life.
Thought
for the Day:
We
never know whether or not the stranger that God directs us to speak to, or our
neighbor, or even a family member is ready with fertile, tilled soil to receive
the seed of the Gospel; but we joyfully broadcast the truth to everyone we
meet, in order to give them a chance to share with us in the blessings of God's
Kingdom.
