February 5, 2021 (Friday)
God called Abraham and made a nation from his descendants. This nation, later called, “Israel,” had a great purpose: to take the good news of God to all the nations of the world. The Old Testament tells us how that nation failed to become a missionary nation. God sent His son to this nation to awaken the people and give them a purpose. For 3 1/2 years, Jesus taught the people and prepared them. During those years, Jesus ministered to a Roman Centurion, a Samaritan woman, and a Syro-Phoenician woman, revealing the fact that God’s grace is intended for all people. In His Great Commission, Jesus told us to be His witnesses to every nation in the world.
God showed His love for Israel and the world when Jesus went to the Cross. He put His Father’s seal of approval on His work by being raised from the dead. After an interlude of ministry, preparing believers to carry His message to others, He ascended to the right hand of God the Father, interceding for those who put their trust in Him as the Savior.
The first Christian missionary to Gentiles, the Apostle Paul, took the gospel to other nations. More missionaries followed and Christian churches emerged in many places. Many years later, Christians could be found all over the world. The message of God’s love for all mankind was being shared by God’s people.
If you are a Christian, you became one by faith. Somehow the message reached you. The message reached me. It is a profound message but not difficult to understand: God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son and whoever believes in Him as Savior is not condemned but has eternal life.
The Lord expects you and me to share this wonderful message with others. If we focus on a person in prayer, the Lord will make a way for that person to hear the message and discover God’s grace.
We who know Christ are His servants. We know He wants us to be His witnesses. Let us live for Christ so that people know there is something about us that is different from the rest of the world. Let us tell the sweet story of God’s love for the world revealed when Jesus died on the Cross for our sins. All we need to tell is what Jesus means to us, personally. We do not have to be Bible scholars or enthusiastic personalities. We just need to tell our own story of how we got saved and how much we love Jesus.
LEAD ME TO SOME SOUL TODAY
Words, Wendell P Loveless
Tune, Will H Houghton
Source: Broadman 1940 Hymnal #323
Lead me to some soul today,
O teach me, Lord, just what to say;
Friends of mine are lost in sin,
And cannot find their way.
Few there are who seem to care,
And few there are who pray;
Melt my heart, and fill my life,
Give me one soul today.
