Certainly it's a verse we see often this time of year. Does it retain its meaning in such a broad but shallow context on bulletin covers and Thanksgiving Day napkins? Consider a parallel account of this passage:
"Go your ways: behold I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way...He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me." (Luke 10:3,4, 16)
I know I've been convicted about my evangelistic pursuits a lot lately. When I used to pray that God would sent forth workers into those ripe mission fields I had this picture of God sort of commissioning some class of Humans that come equipped with a firm grasp of three or four languages and like to wear khakis and just stepped out of Kingdom Come with an unshakable resolve. Ah, but how easily I forget - I'm one of those workers, and you are too. All of Earth is my neighbor, and all of Earth is my mission field. And on this planet there are two kinds of folks: lambs and wolves. That's straight out of God's Holy Word, so you have to take it seriously.
I'm not meant to enjoy my life, though I may experience joy if He wills it. I'm made to spend the brief amount of time granted me to shout the praises and glories and mercies of a holy, just, and eternal God who desires nothing less than the whole of Humanity restored (2 Peter 3:9). He's got a plan to do it, a Way, and He delights in the opportunity for us to help Him because that's the sort of thing He's in to. Every soul is precious to Him. Is every soul precious to you? To me? Consider:
If the Earth exploded tonight, and you had a rocket ship that could save any number of people, but you had to invite them face-to-face, what would you do? You couldn't save them all, there isn't enough time. Would you give up? Maybe just call your family and friends and pack some of your favored possessions and bid farewell to the only planet you've ever known? Everything you've ever known or done is about to be obliterated: monuments, gold, automobiles, poetry, chocolate, bottled water, social networking. The memory of those things would only live on in you and those with you on your tiny rocket ship. Everyone else would be dead.
Well guess what? Someday, everyone will be dead. Everyone ever will be brought before the Sovereign Creator God to account for everything they've ever done. He is not interested in pay rates, witty status updates or the accumulation of junk - those things have no place in the next step of His plan. Of greater interest to Him will be how hard you tried to live according to His Word. Imagine if He asks you how many people you've shared your testimony with - would you know the number? Would it be zero?
That'd be like saying, "I like to stand in the center of giant stacks of money and just look," or "I often swim in vast pools of M&Ms and Dove Bars but I don't eat anything," or "I'm content to be alone in my rocket ship."
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This weekend, October 3rd, is Scarecrows on the Common in Jaffrey. There will be tons of things to do here on Main St. (aside from, naturally, making your own scarecrow to be put up around town) and Jaffrey Bible House will be open all day. We'll be having some big sales for in-store items, a discount for special orders placed that day, a coloring contest, free snacks and coffee from the Keurig and free T-shirts (supplies limited, good for you or your scarecrow). We are extremely excited to be back to full-time hours (literally - I woke up at 5am with butterflies this morning in anticipation for this week!) and can hardly wait to see what God has planned for Jaffrey and the surrounding area! Stop by between 10am and 6pm this Saturday, or next (it's one sale, but we're running it both Saturdays), to stock up on tracts, stickers, greeting cards or some Bibles to bless someone - maybe even invite them on-board your rocket ship!
~~JBH
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