When the creek beside our Sanctuary building at Maple Grove has water, I like to stand and toss a rock or two into it. I watch the ripples. It’s calming. Sometimes I watch them go all the way to the banks of the creek. But I cannot see them go all the way upstream or downstream, but they do. Why can’t I see them? I just cannot see that far?
That reminds me about the impact of sharing God’s Word. God promises in Isiaah 55:11 that His Word will never return void. In other words, His Word will ALWAYS create a ripple. It will ALWAYS have an impact. And just like tossing that rock into our creek, I won’t always know (on this side of Heaven, at least) how far that ripple may go. I won’t always be able to see it.
Folks, you just don’t know how much God can do with the Word when it is proclaimed. He can change lives. Maybe it will not be the person you are talking to – maybe not a person you even knew was listening. But His Word – infallible and without error – says that it will never (not ever) return void.
Our responsibility is simply to keep sharing – to keep preaching. Romans 10:14 asks this question:
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”
So, a word of encouragement. Keep throwing the rock into the water. Keep sharing the Word of God. If you cannot see the impact, don’t worry – God can. Every so often, I will throw a rock in that that didn’t go where I meant it to. But you know what? It still makes ripples.
The Holy Spirit can take those ripples – that Word you have shared – right where God wants it – even if it’s not where you thought it would go. So, keep tossing!! You just throw that rock in, and let God deal with the ripples.
In love,
Bro. Parks