Today's Bible Reading: ZECHARIAH 6:1-8:23, EZRA 5:3-6:14
Zechariah 8:23
Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
As believers we have a calling and a commission to make disciples. So, when we encounter unbelievers, we seek to show them Christ. We share Christ with them. We consistently invite them to join us in encountering Christ at some type of Christian event: a small group, a concert, or at church, but few respond. They seem to have no interest in spiritual matters or activities. Their focus is on other more compelling things.
Their response often makes us feel dejected, discouraged and disheartened. We strive, but seem to be shutdown. We try, but are turned down. We ask ourselves, “What’s the use? “Why should we keep on entertaining relationships with our lost friends, when they almost always elude our invites to attend spiritual encounters?” We become defeated. We conclude that our efforts amount to nothing. We can keep investing, keep inquiring, and keep inviting, but the results are almost always the same. They are just not interested. So disillusioned we resign. We give up. We quit. We’re done.
Yet here is hope in our text. Hope for the “done” disciple. The Lord moves and people respond. It is not just our investment and invitations, but the Lord’s intersection in and through our life that impacts others. It’s His work in us that moves them toward Him. It is when they see the genuineness of our faith, the consistency of our character and the humility of our heart that they become inquisitive and interested. They see your faithfulness through failure. They observe your care and compassion toward them and toward others. They hear the sincerity of your supplication. They recognize the power of His presence and the work of His hand in your life. That’s what draws them to the Living God. They don’t necessarily want an invitation to some type of “Christian” event, as much as, they want to see evidence of His Spirit at work in you. As with our text, our hope is that they will see that God is with us and will come with us to Him.
We must let them see Jesus and they will seek Jesus. When they see His love, His kindness, His forgiveness, His mercy and His Grace at work in and through us, they will come with us. When they see that God is with you, then by God’s grace, they will “take hold of your robe and say let us go with you.” They will desire Him. They will turn to and trust Him. The best way to draw them to Jesus is demonstrate and declare that He is with you. So don’t loss heart disciple. Our hope is that they will come with us when they see what has come of us. So, come close to Jesus and pray that they will come with you to Jesus.
Today, press hard into the Lord. Disregard the declined invitations of your non-believing friends who don’t want to join you at some “Christian “event. Don’t let their dismissal make you a “done” disciple. Recognize that it is your relationship to Christ that catches their gaze. It is His presence in you that intrigues them. Live each day for the glory of His name. Continually make His name known to everyone. Ask the Lord to draw you deeper to Himself that all might see and declare that He is with you and come with you to Him.
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