Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
Mark 7:31,32
The Impact of One Witness
Daily Devotion – September 9, 2024
Devotion based on Mark 7:31,32
See series: Devotions
In 1929, Dr. William Leslie returned home. He had spent 17 years working as a medical missionary in the jungles of Africa. He built medical clinics and ministered to people’s diseases. He taught the Bible and shared the love of Jesus. But he felt like a failure. He did not see any immediate results from his missionary efforts.
In 2010, a team of missionaries made an astonishing discovery. They went to the same remote area of the Congo where Dr. Leslie had worked. They didn’t expect to find evidence of Christianity, but when they arrived, they found a network of thriving Christian churches.
The missionaries were bewildered. The local people explained what had happened. Christianity was taught to them by a man they called William generations ago. The missionary team discovered that the William they referred to was Dr. William Leslie. His work was no failure.
When Jesus went to Decapolis, it was not his first time. The first visit ended in what may have looked like a failure. The people asked Jesus to leave after he healed a demon-possessed man, and then the demons killed a herd of pigs. Jesus told the man that he healed to stay in the area. That man spread the wonderful news of what Jesus had done for him.
When Jesus returned, they did not drive him away. Instead, crowds came to him, bringing their sick, begging for his help. The witness of one man changed the attitudes of the people.
You might never see the impact your Christian witness makes. But when you share the gospel, the good news of sins forgiven in Jesus, you give the Holy Spirit a chance to work in someone’s heart. Your witness is powerful, not because of your strength, but because God is working through it.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, give me courage to share the wonderful news that you have forgiven my sins and the sins of the whole world. Give me opportunities to share the gospel. Amen.
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