Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Expect Him to show up?

Then they went out of the city and came to Him. John 4:30          

After Jesus finished talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, she went back to her town and told everyone about her conversation with Jesus and said this must be the Messiah?  It is quite remarkable to me that the people believed enough to go and check it out.  Even though she was a person with a shady background and of bad reputation with her community, they still were inspired enough by her words to go see the person that she had talked with.  When they did come out to see Jesus, they discovered that He truly was the Messiah and listened and learned from Him.  They believed, and in verse 42 the people of the city said, they believed Jesus, not because of what the woman had said but because they went and heard Him for themselves.  They were so ready for Jesus to come that they believed Him because of His words, not because of He did any signs and wonders.

I have to admit that there have been times in my life that I was intimidated to talk about salvation and the love of God for the world.  Not because I didn’t want to share God’s love, but it was because I didn’t think people would believe me.  I wasn’t confident enough in myself to share the good news because I didn’t think it would be received by others because of who I had been.  I realize now that it has nothing to do with me and is not my place to decide who will and who won’t receive the message.  My part is to share the good news with people and it is the work of God to grow that seed in the heart of the hearer.

Jesus told His disciples that the harvest was white for harvest.  Even though the disciples did not plant the seeds of salvation in Samaria, they were the laborers to would reap the harvest of souls because of what had already been sown.  This is the way we must still believe today.  We are not to decide who and where we will tell God’s message, we are just to tell all people about God’s unconditional love and He is the One that does the work in the hearts of the people around us.  He is the One that shows up and tells us when the harvest is ready.  So start expecting Him to show up where ever you share His love!

Today I want to encourage you to share the love of God with those around you.  Tell people where ever you are the good new of salvation.   Let those that come into your life know that there is hope for the future and then expect the Holy Spirit to show up and do the work in their hearts so they receive the message and then receive His Salvation and love. It won’t happen because of what you said, but because you shared, they will “come and see” for themselves. Then be ready to bring in the harvest because you know He is going to show up when His word is given.

Today’s scripture reading: John 4:27-42

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”

28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 

29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 

30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 

35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 

36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 

37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 

38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 

40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 

41 And many more believed because of His own word.

42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”