Isaiah 65:12 “I will destine you for the sword,
    and all of you will fall in the slaughter;
for I called but you did not answer,
    I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”

Here we have an expression of the consequences of failing to respond properly when God calls. There are indeed some people who actively rebel against God, but far more simply ignore Him, choosing their own way and failing to listen and consider what God is saying to them. God doesn’t pick on such people, but He may abandon them to what they have chosen. The consequences are indeed tragic, as God expresses here. God desires to do good to every human being, drawing them into His loving arms to live with Him forever, but free will is real, and far too many people will choose not to respond to God’s invitation. That bothered God so much that He sent His only Son to die for us, taking on Himself the penalty for our rebellion, our indifference, but His salvation still depends on our repentance and faith. We have the way opened for us, but we have to choose to walk in it. Evangelism is letting people know there is a way to eternal salvation, but it carries no guarantee that people will accept it. As always, the problem is pride. One of the most tragic popular songs ever is Frank Sinatra’s My Way. It is a perennial favorite, but it puts words to the attitude that God says guarantees our destruction. How sad is that?

As I am often reminded, pride has been an issue for me all my life, just as it is, really, for every human being. Most people aren’t as stupidly conceited as I was, but they still fail to acknowledge their Creator and choose to listen to Him. I am currently on the side of those seeking to share the Gospel, and it is a continuing sorrow that so few actually accept it. I am currently thinking of two men with the same last name, one of whom has been a neighbor for nearly 30 years, and one whom I just met. They both are in their 80s, and have serious medical issues. My neighbor was just taken to the hospital by ambulance, unconscious, and I have no idea of his condition. His wife seemed very glad that I was standing there when the EMTs carried him out of the house and put him in the ambulance, but though they have been very kind and friendly over the years, neither of them has come to services or otherwise indicated that they welcomed the Savior I sought to introduce to them. The other man, in contrast, wept in joy when I entered his hospital room, quickly expressed his desire to be a Christian, and when I laid out the Gospel to him, proclaimed, “I believe!” I baptized him on the spot, and in the few days since, his doctor says his condition is improving, though he had been “on the brink,” as the saying goes. Whether he gets out of the hospital or not, I know what his eternal destiny is! I was instrumental in his commitment, but he came to it through the witness of his daughter, so I just harvested the fruit of her labors. I cannot control how people will respond to the Gospel, but I can continue to share it by every means the Lord opens up to me, so that as many as will may receive His free gift of salvation.

Father, thank You for the privilege of being a harvest worker. May I be faithful in scattering the seed and watering, knowing that only You can bring the harvest, so that many may make the right choice for eternity. Thank You. Praise God!