THE POWER OF ONE

John 1: 40-42 NLT Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus….

The power of one. One what you may ask? The power of one person who can tell someone else about Jesus.😊

When Andrew heard Jesus, he realised he had found the Messiah and he immediately went to find his brother Simon Peter to bring him to hear Jesus for himself. We don’t hear a lot about Andrew but he did a wonderful thing in that one act because Peter then went on to speak and literally thousands were saved  - because of one person, Andrew, doing his part first.

So often we think, “I’m only one person, what can I do?” The truth is we can be used by the Holy Spirit to speak a word about Jesus, a word about what He has done for us, and that word can help another person come to know Jesus for themselves.

One word from God can change a person’s life for eternity. One touch from God can put them on a new path that leads to life and we can be the one person who gives them that word from God. It may only take one smile, one kind act that opens someone’s heart, and we can make ourselves available to God for Him to use us at any moment.

It only takes one person to plant a seed so faith can grow. One person to speak a word of encouragement when people are low. One person to tell someone they can have a new beginning, a new hope, a way forward out of the mess, because of Jesus.

At some point some ‘one’ spoke to us about Jesus, about His love and forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit gave us the opportunity to come to know God as our Father, to have our sins washed away, and our future was changed forever. 

Lord, give us the courage to be available to be the ‘one’ who does the same thing for someone else. Amen.😊

Photo by Miguel Ángel Padriñán Alba on Unsplash

KEEP TRUSTING

Psalm 56:3 CEV 3 but even when I am afraid, I keep on trusting you.

The Bible is full of stories of peoples’ lives who have stepped out in faith to believe for something, or to do what God told them to do, but then things happen to set them back. Joseph is a classic example. He had big dreams where others would bow down to him but then he ended up in a pit. Things go from bad to worse and he finds himself a slave for 13 years and sent to prison for something he didn’t even do. He waited and waited while time was ticking by!

Do we read that he gave up? Do we discover that he became bitter? No. Actually we read how he tried to help someone else get out of the prison even when he was afraid he would never get out himself. We read that he forgave his brothers for causing all his grief in the first place and He kept trusting His God, regardless of his setbacks, regardless of the time it took!😊

Maybe circumstances have ganged up on you and you feel like you’re struggling to keep going, the answers are taking too long, or you’re afraid for the future, of what might happen, and how will it all work out? Maybe a friend or a family member has put some doubts in your mind about the step of faith you have taken and it has discouraged you? Perhaps things have gone from bad to worse and you wonder where it will all end?

If so, God wants to inject some encouragement into each one of us today because He reminds us again: Galations 6:9 TLB And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.

Don’t give up trusting! God is always working behind the scenes and He knows what He is doing and where we’re at. His timing is always spot on, and He’s saying even when we’re afraid, for whatever reason, keep trusting Him and don’t be discouraged because His plans will be worked out at the right time. Amen.😊