Thursday Thought – October 22, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

“The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” (Luke 10:1-4)

I’ve been appointed to things before – committees, boards, jobs, etc. With each appointment came responsibility. Each appointment also came with trust. The very decision to appoint me to something was a statement of trust. Someone was trusting me to do what needed to be done. That’s what Jesus was saying about the seventy-two He appointed to bear His message. He was trusting them with an important responsibility. He believed they could do what needed to be done. When He appoints you to some task – bearing His message, doing His work – He is saying the same about you – He trusts you. The Lord of Lords trusts you!

This passage also says that Jesus sent them out “ahead of Him.” They weren’t responsible for the whole thing. All of the work of God was not tied to what they were going to do. They were responsible for only a piece – the Lord would bring the work to its completion. That’s still true about the work we do for Him. We do what He assigns, but all the work is not tied to what we do. There is a piece – the biggest piece – that is God’s to do. He’ll bring the work to completion.

There were many ready to respond in Jesus’ day. There are still many ready to respond in our day. There are places around the world where the response to the message of Jesus is huge. Even here, where the impact of the Gospel seems limited, there are still people who are responding and lives being changed. What was lacking then – and what is lacking now – are those willing to bear the message.

One final point: remember whose harvest it is. The Lord sends workers. The Lord answers prayers. He is the Lord of the harvest. It is His harvest field.

The Lord is looking for workers for His harvest. Will you bear His message?

His, by Grace, Steve