Looking for Soft Soil

But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ Luke 10:10-11

We make reaching people for Jesus much too difficult. We tend to go after the really hard cases—the atheists and agnostics and those who want nothing to do with God. They are fun to try to reach, and I have spent more than my share of years trying to win over some of the most hardened cases…but is that really a good strategy? Even more important, is it God’s strategy?

Don’t get me wrong, God loves them and wants them to be saved. But when giving marching orders to his disciples, Jesus told them not to spend time on hard soil. In other words, if people reject or mock you and the Gospel you share, move on.

Sound harsh? It’s not. Actually it is very strategic.

Jesus had already told his disciples that the harvest was plentiful. He made it clear that there were receptive hearts to his message just waiting to be told how to be saved. So if the disciples entered a village and were immediately rejected, they were to not waste any more time there.

God promises that he will work on the hard soil of those who reject his message. And history is filled with great stories of those atheists and agnostics who found God despite their hardened soil. It is filled with the stories of God’s use of brave missionaries who obeyed his call and went to people groups who had no awareness of Jesus and his message. Some worked years before seeing a single convert. Others gave their lives in the effort. If you have that calling, you need to obey it.

But many of you do not. You are called to work the soft soil. Jesus made it clear: Yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.

Today, why not seek out the soft soil and work where the Kingdom is evident. It’s out there. It’s the addict who is fed up with his addicted life. It’s the wealthy business guy who can’t believe that “this is all there is to life.” It’s the woman who just lost her marriage due to an affair and is at rock bottom. She is looking for real answers…and hope.

That is soft soil, and it’s all around you.

Lord God, help us to work where your Spirit is moving and invest in those with soft soil around us. In Jesus’ name . . . .

 

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