Faith Comes By Hearing

His name is "Bill" and I met him while on vacation recently. Like a reptile seeking a warm rock in the sun, I had purposefully gone outside of the place where we were staying to sit in the warm southern sun where I was going to spend some time with the Lord. I arranged my chair on the narrow sidewalk facing east on this beautiful morning. I had my Bible in hand and was reading away when a screen door next door opened up and out walked a man that I guessed to be in his late sixties or early seventies. He had a full head of frosty white hair and an equally white beard. He had come to find out who I was since he did not recognize me as part of the family that owned the place next to him. When I explained how it is that I had come to stay there he seemed satisfied enough with my answer. Evidently I knew enough about the owners to convince him that I wasn't a "squatter" or a transient. I introduced myself and he extended his hand and said, "My name is "Bill"." Bill" had the gift of gab and I learned quite a bit about his life. He'd had a medical issue when in his 50's and had retired early. To my surprise "Bill" is 80 years old. For the past thirty years he has been traveling south for the winter, running errands with buddies in the mornings and spending the afternoons drinking at the local lodge. He knew what day it was based upon what "beer and wings" specials were offered that day. We chatted about many subjects except the one subject that I knew I should be talking about--"Bill's" spiritual condition. I could sense the nudging of the Spirit to touch on the subject of spiritual matters, but I rationalized them away. "Others were waiting on me inside and we had plans for the day and I had been talking for quite some time and I didn't want the others to blame me for getting a late start on our day's activities." It didn't take long for my cowardice to convince me that it was time to leave. I politely excused myself and went inside still battling on the inside with my failure to speak the truth in love, to take the opportunity to share of Christ and His love with someone who appeared to me to be a very lost soul. I felt miserable, confessed my sin and asked the Lord for one more chance to speak with "Bill" so I could share the gospel with Him. The next day we would be leaving so the window of opportunity for me to see and then speak with "Bill" was very narrow. I kept praying off and on through the day for a chance tomorrow. Tomorrow arrived and God graciously answered my prayer. I saw it as a divine appointment that "Bill" came out onto the sidewalk the next day. I tried to speak with sensitivity and yet with boldness (Eph.6:18-20) of the hope that is within me. I was sowing the seed of the Gospel ignorant of what sort of soil it was falling on. But mine is only to sow the seed (Matthew 13)and let God take care of soil types. "Bill" wasn't overly receptive, but other people's responses is not something I can control. I was just rejoicing in God's mercy, grace, and goodness in giving me another opportunity. I may never see "Bill" again in my life, but by God's grace He has heard of man's sinfulness, Christ's perfect sacrifice on our behalf and our need to repent and trust Him. Paul reminds us in Romans 10:10-17 that right standing before God comes through faith in Christ and that faith comes by Hearing the Word of Christ. Unless we speak the word people will not believe.