Introduction
I think every Christian has one thing in common: they want to be used by God. You want to live fruitful lives, don’t you? You want to experience the joy of leading your neighbor to the Lord. You’ve been praying for your prodigal child, and you dream about the day she calls you, sobbing tears of repentance and asking forgiveness. But that day hasn’t come. Or maybe your desires are more basic: you’ve had issues with your temper for years and you ache for progress. You read the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and feel barren afterwards.
I have a friend who took his family to Vietnam to do missions work. He was a top-notch missionary - the kind a church loves to send. He was off-the-charts intelligent, eminently humble, a proven leader, grounded in sound doctrine, with a vibrant love for Christ. The church eagerly sent him to the difficult field of Vietnam for the cause of Christ. In his time there he learned Vietnamese, developed relationships with several unbelievers there, and began sharing the gospel with them. He and his wife developed Bible studies and regularly hosted meetings in their home. Weeks, months, and a couple years went by. Nobody really responded to the gospel. He ended up getting in a motorcycle accident, and complications eventually brought his whole family back home for good.
Was the time wasted?
Stories like these are common, aren’t they? How many of you have shared the gospel with great hope, only to be rejected? How often have you felt excitement about ministry, only to get frustrated at that seeming lack of interest? Have you ever invested time and energy into a relationship - hoping to do spiritual good - only to be dismissed? Have your expectations been dashed - and your heart discouraged?
Think of what it would have been like to follow Jesus around during his lifetime. The disciples had been hearing Jesus preach about the kingdom. They’d begun to see his power - healings, exorcisms, and other breathtaking miracles. But the religious leaders reject him - first accusing him of being possessed by Satan (Mk. 3:22) and then seeking his death (Mk. 14:1). His own family thinks he’s crazy (Mk. 3:21). Massive crowds are hyped up about him, but don’t really know him (Mk. 3:7). And when he tells this parable about sown seed on the soils, and only 1 in 4 represent those who respond rightly to the kingdom message.
In other words, although it doesn’t seem to be going all that well, Jesus is not deterred. He understands that “the kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground” (Mk. 4:26). So ordinary. So unexpected. Not immediately productive. Who associates the glorious kingdom of God with the mundane scattering of seeds? Apparently, Jesus does.
He says that this ordinary work produces, in the end, extraordinary harvest. The tiny mustard seed grows up to become “larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade” (Mk. 4:32).
This journal aims to consistently reinforce this easily forgotten truth, and inspire you toward ordinary faithfulness. Beware of what your eyes tell you. Small doesn’t mean insignificant. Ordinary doesn’t mean inconsequential. If it doesn’t sprout a harvest immediately, it doesn’t mean it was worthless. The revival we long for - the revival of faith, love, and obedience in the church - is not the work of a few who carry the massive load. The flood of revival comes through trillions of tiny droplets of sacrificial love, humble service, generous hospitality, and cheerful fellowship. The revival is incremental. Press on.
Eric Durso
May 1st, 2024
