Letter from Cody: Virginia Evangelism – May 2015
This week as I was working in our garden, I was thinking of all the spiritual lessons that can be learned from the seed sowing process. When we plant, all sorts of things can happen. Sometimes we have bad seed and end up with a virtually empty garden bed. Other times the seeds spill (or have help from some little hands) and end up growing in the garden path. Last year, we planted a bed of corn that the squirrels discovered and quickly emptied the bed of all the precious seed. Other times the insects came and devoured the plants so that even though they grew, their yield was next to nothing. Planting a garden can be a laborious process with lots of pitfalls, yet we keep planting. Why? Because there is something special about being able to go out to the garden and enjoy the fresh flavors very day. So in spiritual sowing, there are lots of dangers along the way, there is lots of hard work that goes into sowing spiritual seed, and we never know what the outcome will be; but the rewards are incomparable to anything else! Just the thought of one soul saved throughout eternity is enough to make all the toil and uncertainty fade into nothingness. How true are the words of Scripture, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.” Ecclesiastes 11:6. While we have no idea which seeds will be productive, we have the promise of ultimate success! “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11. May we not be discouraged, but keeping sowing seeds for the Master that we may reap that eternal harvest!
We praise the Lord for the opportunity to sow seeds for him in a recent evangelistic series here in Warrenton, Virginia. As we began five weeks ago, we were excited to see whom the Lord would bring; and sure enough, the Lord filled up the church with men and women seeking for a deeper walk with their Lord! The Lord brought a diverse group to come and hear the Word of God together: families with children, retired folks, Christians, Buddhists and more. One man, who did not miss a night, had attended a seminar previously and has been studying in earnest. He is even now preparing to share with his Sunday church the truth of the Sabbath and see how God will work from there. As we share with some and they share with others, we never know how far God will take the message from the seeds sown! Another lady was earnestly soaking up the truths that were being presented, but that was not all–most nights she would bring back two correspondence Bible studies, ready to get two more. She was truly immersing herself in the study of the Bible! Then there were other interests who had been receiving Bible studies
previously that are now preparing for baptism, while others are seriously considering these truths that they have heard. We praise the Lord for the opportunity to share His message with these dear people, and we look forward to being able to continue to work and study with them as they keep coming to the follow-up studies and worship with us each Sabbath. The Lord is truly working, and we praise His name for that! While we do not know which seeds will germinate and bear fruit, we know that God will bring the eternal harvest! Please pray with us that the Lord will complete the good work He has begun in each of their lives!
Yours in sowing seeds for the Master,