Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Background

As I was leaving on the mission trip two Thursdays ago, I was in the final stage of getting over a cold. In fact, I took a little medicine before I left and felt fine the entire time I was away. One of the ladies that went with us, however, was in the initial stages of her own cold and struggled with it for many of the days we were gone. And unfortunately, as the trip wound down, the other lady on our team managed to catch a cold and come back home trying to get over it. Not to be outdone, the two men who made up the rest of our team have managed to catch a cold since returning to the states. That cruel nature of the cold bug that may be going around this time of year certainly did a number on the lot of us. Whether we all shared in the same virus is impossible to know, but something clearly affected each of us in our own time. And our colds reminded me of one of the lessons we learned while in East Asia.

Application

When we are able to share the gospel story with someone, their response might be different from the response of the one we may have shared with earlier. God’s working in each life is unique in that way. But many times our new friend would say that they had heard at least some of the story previously. In some manner or form, they were familiar with some part of the message, if not the entire story. And if they believed, then in some way the previous person who shared had a part in the process of the new believer following Jesus. And if this was the first time they had heard the good news, then the next time God brings someone to them to share, His seed will have been planted, and who knows how God will use that faithfulness. Each time His story was told, a work was being done by God. He was in the process of passing eternity from one person to another. We just might not know when His perfect timing will be. But the power is in the sharing. It’s how His people are saved. It’s how the blind receive sight. It’s how the lost find their home. So look for ways to share in the sharing. And it might just change your life, too.

Charge

As we seek Him today, go your way knowing that God has you there for a purpose, and that is to bring glory to His name. So look at each encounter as fulfilling your appointment and doing what God has prearranged.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words