READING: Genesis 41:1-42:26, Matthew 13:18-43
When I first became a believer, I couldn’t figure out why people didn’t want what Jesus offered them. My heart burned with evangelism, and I told everybody about Jesus. I was sure that my joy was so evident that everybody would turn to Jesus, follow Him, and have the same joy I had. That wasn’t the case, however.
Some didn’t want to listen at all. Others just weren’t ready, they said. They wanted to live their lives first, and then later consider Jesus. Some did say they wanted to follow Him, but their lives showed little evidence of a conversion. Any zeal they had for Christ was short-lived. The more I saw people turn a deaf ear to Christ, the more I grieved on their behalf.
On the other hand, God has occasionally allowed me to proclaim His Word to somebody who was “good soil”—somebody who “hears and understands the word” (Matt. 13:23) and produces good fruit. I think of my friend, Glenn, a man most folks assumed would never get saved. He was rough, hardened, mean—but the gospel melted him and transformed him. Nothing short of the power of God could explain what happened to that man.
Men like Glenn remind me that good soil is out there. The majority of people may reject the gospel, but God is still working in hearts. He still wants us to sow the seed broadly, trusting Him for where it may fall. Disciples of Jesus press on evangelistically with that same hope.
Prayer: “God, I commit to sowing the seed of the gospel through evangelism. Thank You for those who will be ready to respond.”
Tomorrow’s reading: Catch up day
