Laying the Ground Work

For you will go on before the LORD to prepare His ways. Luke 1:76

John the Baptist was to become the forerunner of Jesus. His ministry would be to prepare people to meet Jesus. He would be used of God to set the stage for Jesus’ ministry. He was a pivotal player in the transition from the Old to the New Testament. His messages would announce the coming of the One who would do what the law could not do…..redeem and reconcile us to God.

Have you ever thought back to the forerunners of Jesus in your own life? For many of us, seeds were planted numerous times before we came to Christ. For me, those seeds came in scattered sentences over the course of a couple years before I was ready and able to receive Christ as my Savior. I had never been given a tract to read nor had anyone just sat me down and explained the plan of salvation to me. Instead, I would hear one person make reference to being born again or saved. Another person might make reference to prayer. They weren’t even talking to me….I overheard their conversations with others. But the words stuck with me. When I finally did attend a vacation Bible school at the age of 14, those familiar words came back to me and by the end of the week I trusted Christ as my Savior.

While I may not be the one to actually lead others to Christ I am encouraged that God can use me to be a forerunner of Christ to them. The more I talk of Him the more seeds are sown into the hearts of those with whom I come into contact. Whether I am speaking to them directly or they over hear a conversation I am having with another person, God is able to take the words and plant seeds of truth into their life. The “forerunners” for me will not even know until eternity that God used them in such a way! Oh, the surprises that await us when we finally see the harvest!

Father, I thank you for the seeds that were planted in me long before I became Your daughter. May I never underestimate the words You can use to reach others. Amen.