Scripture to Read: Romans 15:19–21
God used Paul in many miraculous ways as Paul served our Lord well in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. We read at the end of Romans 15:19, “so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” and then in Romans 15:20, “I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation” What a great example of fulfilling the great commission that our Lord Jesus Christ gave us in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” God did not have Paul use what He had Matthew write, but God had Paul quote from Isaiah 52:15 in Romans 15:21, where Paul wrote, “They who had no news of Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.” The point is that God used Paul to carry out His will in making disciples of Christ where Christ had not yet been preached. God desires us to carry out His will each day too. We may think we must go across the world to share Christ, where He has not yet been shared, but the truth is that we have people in our schools, businesses, and neighborhoods who have not yet heard of Christ. We must pray Colossians 4:3–4 and seek out the opportunities we know God will open up for us. Then, pray Ephesians 6:19–20, so as God opens opportunities to us, we speak His Words with His boldness.
Challenge & Application
· Where does God want to use you to share the life-changing message of our Lord Jesus Christ?
· How do you guard yourself to ensure God and His Word lead you and not the feelings of your heart?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!