“I was talking with a neighbor last night about something that may have opened him to consider Christianity,” Stan began.
“Great!” I exclaimed. “How did that happen?”
“My neighbor has been looking into a new job,” Stan replied. He submitted an application for a position over at Smithson’s. He said it sounded like a perfect job for him, that he met all of the qualifications, the job interview went well, and all of that stuff. He was excited about the prospects.”
“So,” I asked, “did he get the job?”
“He did not,” Stan replied. “Seems that someone else who knows the head of the company got the job.”
“Oh,” I said, “I’ve seen that sort of thing happen lots of times. It can be all about knowing the right person.”
“And that’s exactly what I was able to talk about with my neighbor,” Stan said. “About knowing God the Father and Jesus His Son. They are the ultimate insiders to know. After all, Jesus said that knowing Him and His Father is eternal life.”
“So,” I said, “your neighbor was open to hearing what you had to say?”
“He was,” Stan replied. “I have tried talking with him many times before about Christianity, my faith, and all that is involved, but he has never been interested before.”
“But he was this time?”
“Seems so,” Stan replied. “He didn’t immediately respond with a confession of faith, but he was open in a way he had never been before. To me, this was another example of why it’s important for me to always be ready to present the truth of the gospel.”
Continuing, he added, “I can never know how God may be moving in other people to open them to want to know Him. My role is to be available with the truth, present it, and leave the results in God’s very capable hands.”
__________________________________
Bible verses to consider:
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to every one who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. 1 Peter 3:15.
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:6.
And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent. John 17:3.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the people you brought into my life to share with me the truth of the gospel so I could accept your free and gracious gift of salvation. I confess that too often I am not prepared to present the truth to others so that they, too, can have the assurance of salvation. Please help me in being prepared to present the truth to each person you bring before me. Help me in being obedient to what you have for me to do while I am being who you intend. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Do you have the assurance of spending eternity in God’s presence when your time here is finished? If not, why? If you do have that assurance, was there a particular person who brought you to that truth? If so, have you thanked that person? If you know the truth, are you prepared to share it with each person God brings before you? If not, why? Do you want to be prepared to take advantage of every opportunity that God may present? Why or why not? If you do want to be prepared, do you know how that can happen?
Waiting for the Train 