Tear Drops On My Bible (Joe Widick)

Today, Joe talks about the power of the Gospel.

I recently read of a Bible class study that took an interesting turn. As I read through the story, it made me more aware of the importance of seeking the lost. The class was studying Ephesians 4:17-24. The teacher was asking each member of the class to read a verse. As they were going around the class it was noted that one of the young mothers began to cry. Most members of the class began to wonder what was going on. Was there problems at home, had someone she loved gotten sick, were her children OK! When the teacher stopped the class and asked if there was anything that he could do, the young mother said, “I’m crying because hearing this passage read out loud makes me see the condition that lost people are in. They’re separated from God and are blind to it. That breaks my heart!” It was interesting that after this young mother told of her concerns, that others in the class expressed the same concerns. They had been embarrassed that they felt that way, but were really doing nothing to make a difference. Another in the class stated that he had spent much time in discussing what type of punishment those outside of Christ would receive and had not discussed what he could do to help them in their understanding of Christ.

The apostle Paul laid out the condition of the lost with these words; “...their understanding is darkened, being alienated from the life of God...because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:18. He testified that he had “great sorrow and continual grief in his heart” because his fellow countrymen had not yet come to know the love of Christ (Romans 9:1-3). I need to ask myself each and every time I read these verses; is this something I feel. If it is then what am I doing about it. Do I continue to go about the motions of Christianity never sharing the wonderful story of Jesus with others.

As we think about the condition of nonbelievers, we can remember God’s heart toward them; “The Lord is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). When we share the Word of God and pray earnestly for others, eyes will be opened to His love. We need to be able to open our heart to the Lord and He will open our eyes to the lost. Have you or I ever shed a tear on our Bible because of the deep feelings of emotion and concern for those who do not know Jesus?