• Isaiah 25:9 It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
• Isaiah 33:22 For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.
• Isaiah 37:35 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”
• Isaiah 46:4 even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
• Isaiah 49:25 For thus says the Lord: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.

There is something to be said about exactly what God will do. Promises are kept. God is trustworthy.

Now let us personalize what God has done in keeping His Word to us as individuals. That is our witness because it happens on a personal level and not a global way.

God answered my first prayer in a way that only God could. He was instant in answering that prayer. It happened to me but no one else saw what happened, because it happened inside me. He changed me, instantly.

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. I wasn’t there, I didn’t see it. Others saw it and believed, but it did not happen to them. When God reveals Himself in a real way and no one sees exactly what happens, who will believe our report? Only those who already believe.

I have told unbelievers about my miracle and the kindest thing any of them said in reply was “Good for you.” Most thought I would say anything to make them change their mind about God.

Who is looking for God?

Now that is a very personal question. We will never know without getting personal with people. That means we have to make ourselves available.

How busy are we? Too busy to get personal?

I cannot answer that question for anyone but myself.

Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

Are there people in your life that treat you this way?

Jesus was about to go to the Cross and die. Then His resurrection and ascension would lead to the Day of Pentecost and the gospel was then going to be spread throughout the known world.

The result of that growth of believers would lead to widespread persecution and many deaths in some very public ways. Christians were said to be the main attraction in the Roman Colosseum as they were slaughtered for entertainment.

Do we see that happening in our lives today? Are we being persecuted or just ignored as if our faith is irrelevant! No one wants to hear that the real problem is sin. How dare we ever say that sin is the problem?

The answer to sin is the love of God but how will they know God’s love if they have never been loved? A heart unloved is a vacuum that is easily filled with sinful acts masquerading as love because they have never known God’s love.

Showing God’s love is a one on one experience and it is not entertainment.

I have been pondering the Shepherd and the 99 sheep. The Good Shepherd went out, found the one and brought him home. That one sheep that had gone astray had always been part of the flock. Preaching the gospel and seeking to save the lost is pointless if it is only shared with the flock.

Are we afraid of being persecuted by the world?

Here is one more thought on this. We are missing that blessing if we let fear keep us from reaching the lost.

One last thought, we are all sent.