Isaiah 2:17: “The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, / And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; / The LORD alone will be exalted in that day,”

July 27th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Many of us found that when we came to faith in Jesus Christ, our old friends, who were still in the world, were surprised and couldn’t believe the change in us. In fact, most thought it was just a fad or some temporary trip that we would “get over.” But the wonderful thing about giving it all to God is that He changes our desires and tastes. Sadly, many of us have also found that unbelieving old friends often talk behind our backs, secretly putting us down. Scripture reminds us over and over that those who persist in refusing God’s gift of eternal life will stand before the Judge of all the earth. Will we share the truth with them before it is too late?

Pastor Chuck Swindoll wrote about a seminary professor in college who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. He went to his regular barbershop to get a hair cut, but his barber was on vacation. The replacement barber had a garbage mouth, and after cussing a little, started to tell the professor a dirty joke. The professor grabbed his arm and pointed to his own ear and said, “Does this look like a sewer?” Some situations need to be lovingly and softly confronted, while others require a loving but firm stand, out of genuine concern for the unbeliever. For most of us, someone loved us enough to pray for us and challenge our ungodly lifestyle in a way that was effective enough that we came to Christ. Maybe it was simply an invitation to church.

A study by the Barna Group showed that among people who accepted Christ between the ages of 13 and 21, 56% of them credited their friends or family inviting them to church as the catalyst for their salvation. It’s not hard to quietly invite someone to attend church with you this week. If they say “No,” just graciously say, “Maybe some other time,” and then let the Holy Spirit work on them. Even though they may not initially respond, most eventually will. And if they come all the way to salvation, they will certainly thank you in eternity.

“LORD, help us to be bold and loving enough to speak of Your love to someone new every day.”