October 14, 2024 Devo

October 14th, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
Jesus & the Harvest (Matt 9:35-38)
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’” – Matthew 9:36-37 (NLT)
“The Opportunity Is All Around You”

I have always loved the story about the shoe company that was expanding and wanting to move into countries where it was not selling shoes. To test the waters, the company sent two salesmen to Africa to see what the market looked like. After two weeks of exploring the territory, one of the salesmen contacted the home office in the U.S. and said, “Bring me home. There’s no market in this country. No one wears shoes here.” Ironically the other salesman contacted the home office with a different assessment. He said, “The market is fantastic here! Send all the shoes you can because no one has any!” Do you see the obstacles, or do you see the opportunity?
Jesus saw the opportunity. Yes, the crowd was filled with people who were hurting and confused. In their pain, they would be exceptionally self-centered and sensitive. They were there for what they could GET, not for what they could GIVE. But that was okay with Jesus. He knew He could start with where they were and lead them to where they needed to be. He would walk among them as a Healer and a Comforter and along the way, many would become believers and followers. Their pain would become His Pathway to their hearts.
This understanding should open our eyes to how God can use us in this dark, hurting world. Too often we quickly turn away from the very people that God has sent us to reach. We think of the people in the U.S. as not really being open to Jesus. But one of the latest Barna surveys found that 37% of the people polled said they were looking for “inner peace.” Another 35% said that they were wanting to find “hope.” And another 30% said they were looking for “healing.” Doesn’t that sound like the crowd that Jesus was looking at? People haven’t changed much in 2000 years. The same hurts and needs they had then are the ones people have now. People everywhere are looking for Jesus. They just don’t know it's Jesus they’re looking for. Want to make a difference in this world for God? Just open your eyes. The opportunity is all around you. That’s God’s Word for you today.