I was sitting in the booth in a restaurant telling the person sitting across from me about my faith in Jesus. They were not a believer and it seemed they were more determined to oppose me than listen to what I had to say. Our discussion seemed pointless until we slid out of the booth to leave. I noticed a couple sitting in the booth next to us staring at me.
As I left the restaurant, I wondered if that couple was listening in on our conversation. It suddenly hit me that maybe my talk about Jesus wasn’t intended for the person in the booth with me. Maybe all the points I made about how Jesus had impacted my life weren’t made in vain. It reminded me of John 8:12-30.
In this passage the scribes and the Pharisees continue to debate Jesus about who He claims to be. After much back and forth, “they were saying to Him, ‘Who are You?’ Jesus said to them, ‘What have I been saying to you from the beginning (25, NASB)?’” They seemed intent on rejecting his statement at the beginning of this passage: “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life (12).”
Yet the last verse gives me hope when I run into people who reject Jesus: “As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him (30).” As Jesus tried to convince the scribes and Pharisees, others were listening in. While they rejected Jesus others around them accepted Him as the Son of God, as the “Light of the world, the Light of life.” Our testimony about Jesus is never wasted.
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12, NASB
140 Character Christian 
Yes, God does that! I remember hearing about a pastor who, against his instincts, was led to share the gospel with a man on his deathbed in a shelter. The man clearly was comatose, but the pastor preached anyway. Later another man showed up at his church, telling him he had been drunk and lying under the bed that night but was sober enough to understand and believe what he had heard!
That is a great story. Thanks for sharing. A good reminder that we never know the impact we will have when we share the gospel. Blessings.
This is an encouraging post Chris, it reminds me of the verse:
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
— Isaiah 55:11
There are times I doubt my sharing of His Word in writing or in person, it is the above verse that keeps me going. We may never know the effect of our work for the Gospel in this life, but I believe we will see the rewards in Heaven someday.
God bless you today brother 🙏
That is an encouraging verse. Thanks for sharing. I have my doubts too at times, but I’m learning to trust God—to share His Word; to respond to the prompting of His Spirit; to share with the people He brings into my life. Thanks for the comment. Blessings.