“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified,” (II Thess. 3:1).
“‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in,” (Luke 14:23).
Imagine a beautiful waterfall, rushing over into a beautiful blue stream and the water runs clean, clear and swiftly. Nothing seems to stop it, delay it or detour the water from reaching its destination. It goes down through the mountains and valleys and on to the ocean. This is the way the Christian life should be. The day we accepted Christ as our Savior, the water began to run through us into the world, reaching the uttermost parts of the earth. This is a picture of the Christian who loves the Lord and is fully committed to Him. This is how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is shared in the world.
Pray
Our prayer for each other should be the same prayer Paul prayed for the Thessalonians and that is that the” word of the Lord may run swiftly” as we go from day to day. We are to allow the Holy Spirit to fill our lives with the joy of knowing and trusting Christ. This will bring glory to God. What a privilege it is to be a part of His work, serving Him, by sharing with others the love of God and warning them of the coming Judgments.
Blocked
On the other hand, there are those who with their lifestyles block and delay the message of Salvation in reaching the lost. Their life is full of rocks, and trash that finds its way into the life. “The word of the Lord” is not free to run freely and swiftly reaching its destination of lost souls. What happens is the Christian is not “obedient” to Christ. You don’t pray and study His Word daily. You are having fellowship with the world. And the longer your spiritual diet is lacking the “Word of God and prayer,” you will find rocks and a trash build up (sin) and this causes the flow of the Gospel to be delayed and sometimes a detour, therefore the “word of the Lord” does not run swiftly” and God is not glorified. “Disobedience” is “a refusal or failure to obey.” Disobedience is “Sin! But all you have to do is repent of the sin (clean up the stream) that is hindering your witness, confess it sincerely, and turn from it. Then make a full surrender of your life to Christ and begin to see the “word of the Lord run swiftly” in a clean life.
Are you a clean stream? Is the “word of the Lord” running swiftly through you? Are you witnessing of Him?
Many Reject
Not everyone who hears the message of Salvation, receive it, but many will. We are asked to live a clean life that others may see Christ in us and be drawn to Him. We must keep the rocks and trash out of our lives so the “word of the Lord may run swiftly.” We must always look for a way to verbally share Christ. When Jesus finished teaching the “word” in one place He would say, “Let us go into the next town… ”(Mark 1:38). Jesus tells us to “go out quickly…” (Luke 14:21).
Obey
What will it be with you? Is it obedience or disobedience? Do you desire a clean stream? Are you willing to be a beautiful blue, clean stream running swiftly into the world with the Gospel? Imagine the lives you will touch as you “run swiftly” through the mountains and valleys of life reaching the hearts of the lost with the message of salvation. Again, Jesus said: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19-20).
There are many who have not heard. Let’s keep the stream clean and clear so there will be no delays or detours in allowing “the word of the Lord to run swiftly.” God bless, “may the word of the Lord run swiftly” through us.
Amen! Praise the Lord!
Pastor Bob and Tammy Whiteley “If religion has let you down, disappointed you, or even wounded you, Life Church can help”
