Sometimes it can be frustrating seeing people reject the good news of Jesus. It leaves me baffled sometimes why it is not plain to them but as long as they are only willing to look with their eyes they will never see the truth. So many want proof, as in documented, as in on paper, so that we could argue the case of Jesus. Well, it is on paper, there are documents but still they dismiss it as a product of someone's imagination. The real problem is that Jesus is meant to be experienced not proven by intellectual argument.
The fact is, it is an encounter with Jesus that changes us. We can consider all the disciples or even the apostle Paul. After experiencing him they were never the same again. But we can look back even further. Consider the change that happened to Moses, or even consider Saul. Saul is a good example, a young man just going about his business when Yahweh made him his choice for king. This is what the prophet Samuel said to him:
And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. (1 Samuel 10:5-6)
And then we read:
So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. (v. 9)
Saul became another man, one with a new heart. The New Testament Scriptures tell us that our encounter with Jesus transforms us into a new creation, a transformation that is still taking place as we grow into spiritual maturity.
We can argue the case of Jesus all we want, and we need to, but unless the conviction of the Spirit is upon the person, they do not have eyes to see or ears to hear or a heart of understanding. What I have observed in my many years of service is that as long as the person is self contained, needing nothing from anyone, they are closed to needing Jesus. However, when a person has been humbled and is in a desperate situation, they will be open to seeing Jesus. But this is not the most effective time.
The best moment is when a person has been convicted by the Spirit, is suddenly humbled by his great sin, and is desperate for relief from it. This is the crisis moment in their life and there is usually a servant of the LORD at hand to bring the Living Water to their thirsty soul. But that is where people like us cannot get weary from doing good. We cannot become discouraged in our labour. We must always be ready, in and out of season, to share the Good News, to be Jesus' servants in the moment. If we give up hope and forget that salvation belongs to the LORD, then there is no hope for the lost.
We have no idea who we will encounter today, what they have been experiencing and how desperate they are. All that we know is that we must look for every opportunity and take it, even if it is the 100th time we have offered Jesus to someone. Be sensitive to the Spirit, make yourself available, represent Jesus in word, actions and motivation. Never be concerned about yourself, your past or your reputation; just be faithful to Jesus and your duty to him. You may be someone's Samuel; you may be the encounter of Jesus that will change someone's heart today. Be alert. Don't become weary. Don't be discouraged. Today is someone's day of salvation.
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