[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Friday, July 18, 2014

[Paul]

Hello and good day to all my readers on this Friday or, for you in Australia and New Zealand, a very early Saturday morning as this is being written.  I hope and pray that, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that you are all doing well today.

Several years ago, and this is another article I shared with most of you last year, Pastor William Zeige wrote a contribution entitled "The Reason for the Hope," rendered as follows:

I am told that the Bible has 365 references directing us not to be afraid.  That's one for every day of the year.  Is God trying to tell us something?

If so, and apparently He is, why are we so afraid to talk to others about our faith? Is this subject an exception to God's daily reminder not to fear? It is more likely that this subject is at the top of God's list for us to get past our apprehensions.  God wants His followers to gather more followers.  He has commissioned His disciples to make other disciples.  This is our strategic purpose in life as believers.  To do this, we must use words.  We must communicate the significance of the good news about Jesus so that others are influenced and moved as the Holy Spirit uses us to reach them.

We should always be ready to put aside our fears and to freely state our reason for the hope that is in us.  One approach might be to memorize 100 favorite Bible passages and start quoting them in the hope that one of them will "hit home." This is not likely to work very well, though it would be a wonderful foundation for you to know God's promises.  The more you know, the more you can share.

A much more realistic way for you to share your hope is to sit down and make a list of the many things the Lord has done for you in your life and maintain a constant awareness of these blessings.  Being a Christian witness, at its very foundation, means that you can express what your faith means to you in the hope that it will encourage hope in others.

Perhaps the fear factor rises in our hearts because we think God is calling us to be constantly spitting out our religious-sounding stuff to everyone everywhere we go.  This is anything but true.

We are called upon to always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have.  We don't know when someone might be receptive to our Christian witness.  If we presume to witness in our own timetable it will probably not be the right time.  If they are the one asking, it is the right time.  Be prepared when this happens.

The consistency of our daily living is the best way to whet the appetite of others to ask.  When they see in you a person who has peace and strength even though you have problems (just like anyone else), they are likely to turn to you when they have a real need.  When they ask, be ready to give the reason for the hope you have in Jesus.

Rev. William Zeige is pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran in Cohasset, MN.

I hope that this article was a blessing for you today.  And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another Daily Thought message for you.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul