As an educator for the last twenty-five years, I have spoken to large groups on numerous occasions with relative ease. However, when I was recently presented with the awesome opportunity to speak at our first Constant Friend conference, I had to seek God to be equipped to function as His mouthpiece, His voice. My greatest desire was to speak the words that He wanted the attendees to hear ... His message ... not my message.
Today's scripture reminds us of Jesus' expectations for us. He instructs us to preach His Good News to EVERYONE. For a moment, I would like for you to consider who is included in EVERYONE. Would EVERYONE consist of your children, your spouse, your parents, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, your Facebook friends??? Are you following His mandate? Are you sharing His Good News with them?
Billy Graham is credited to having shared the good news of Jesus Christ to more than 2.2 BILLION. Thankfully, Jesus does not require a certain number of individuals for each of us to reach. He just directs us to preach the Good News to everyone.
Before thinking that Jesus is only referring to the Billy Grahams of this world in this scripture, I would like to share a few definitions of preach....."to proclaim, to deliver, to advocate, to give earnest advice, and to make known." With these definitions of preach in mind, I feel certain that we CAN share His Good News with those we touch.
Apostle Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 2:3-4 what happens when we take a step of faith and place our trust in God to speak through us - "When I came to you, I was weak and afraid and trembling all over. I didn't preach my message with clever and compelling words. As I preached, the Holy Spirit showed His power." In other words, God SHOWED up and gave Paul the words to speak.
Billy Graham once proclaimed: "We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding." My challenge to you today is to make good use of the measure of faith that God has allotted to you by living your life in such a way that others will see His Bible, His creed, His sermon in YOU!
Dear Lord, I am so grateful for Your promise in Isaiah 51:16 "I have put My words in your mouth. I have kept you safe in the palm of My hand." Help me to always place my trust in You when my own insecurities threaten to keep me from being Your Voice.
I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.
