Who’s Next?

 

This picture was taken back in 2019 at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Stephanie and I retired that year from teaching and we were traveling in our Fifth Wheel doing what the Lord called us to do, wherever he wanted to send us. I remember at that time praying for God’s direction. WHAT ministry would he call us to? Where would he send us? Wow! Later that year we traveled together to Peru. We spent time in Florida, I traveled together Greece and Israel, and then God called us here to little, Bluffton, Indiana. I talk about this a lot because God has been so powerfully active sending us. It is NOT US. It is HIM. Because of the adventure over the past five years, we have gotten into the “groove” asking, “OK GOD, What’s next?” 

Guess what?

For five years, I have been asking the wrong question(s). It is really not WHAT the assignment is. It is not about WHERE the assignment is. The real question is, “WHO is next?”

This week we discussed the parable of the four soils in one of our groups. We asked the question, what type of soil are you? The women in this group are not the first soil, the footpath. They have received the word of God with Joy and many of them for less than a year, are exponentially growing in their faith. But it is still too early to tell which of the remaining types of soil they are. 

Will they bear fruit?

That is the difference between the good soil and the bad soil. If we are the GOOD SOIL, we might be farmers. We will be scattering seed, tending the field, pulling weed, and if we are so blessed we get to be a part of the harvest. Sometimes we might be assigned the role of shepherd, tending a flock, keeping the wolves at bay. We might be teacher discipling new followers. But the focus is NOT on WHAT, it is on WHO!

This came to light to me as I was reading Matthew 9 this morning. LOOK AT THE WHO!

“Some people brought him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said the paralyzed man, ‘Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.’ (Matthew 9:2)

“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said the him. So Matthew got up and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9)

“Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, ‘If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, ‘Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.” (Matthew 9:20-22)

“After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.” (Matthew 9:25)

“After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting ‘Son of David, have mercy on us.’ They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, ‘Do you believe I can make you see?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ they told him, we do.’” (Matthew 9:27-28)

Jesus performed amazing miracles, healing a paralytic, softening the heart of a tax-collectors, giving hope to a woman who had no hope, compassionately restoring the life of a child, and restoring the sight of the blind. The focus was not WHAT miracles he performed. The focus was on the lives that were being restored. THE FOCUS IS ON WHO!

For the past five years, Stephanie and I have been open to the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit and we have always anticipated, with joy, WHERE AND WHAT we were doing next. Yet, it is more about WHO IS NEXT? 

I am reading a book, highly recommended by our pastor, called “Finding the One, by David McIver. You can find WHO IS NEXT just by living your life and being open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. This familiar scripture brought it home for me:

“He said to his disciples. ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, ask him to send more workers in to his fields.’” (Matthew 9:37)

Lord of heaven and earth, Send us into your fields. Reveal the NEXT ONE you are calling us to shepherd, or tend. We do not care about what or where. We care deeply about WHO. Please Lord use us for  your kingdom and your glory so that others might be saved! 

WHO’s NEXT? Amen!