To Share or Not to Share

I often share God’s word with others. Maybe I send a picture or a verse or a thought to encourage or help someone along the way. Maybe you’ve done the same. Today, I was thinking about sharing a verse with someone. Do I share? Do I not share? That was my dilemma. The last time I shared with this person it was taken wrong and misused and misunderstood, so I was hesitant to share today. I feared that would happen again. I didn’t want what was meant for encouragement to be fuel for some misconceived idea. But no sooner than I had that thought did another thought occur to me. God says to us, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). God’s word does its job! It fulfills His will.

I was also reminded of Pharaoh in the Exodus story. The LORD told Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let His people go. The LORD said, “But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go” (Exodus 4:12). And that’s exactly what happened; God’s word hardened Pharaoh’s heart, just like it was meant to do. The people suffered through the plagues that ensured due to Pharaoh’s hard heart, and they were terrified and feared death as they were pinned against the Red Sea by the Egyptian army. While this was difficult and scary for God’s people, in the midst of it all, The LORD was revealing Himself to both His people and to Egypt, and even to all of us who know this story. The LORD was showing His power and control over creation. He was revealing His strength to defeat the strongest army. He was making His presence known among His people. He was showing HIs tender care to protect and provide for His own. God revealed Himself through Pharaoh’s hard heart. God’s word did exactly what He wanted it to do. It allowed Him to make Himself known.

In life, it is never easy to walk through difficult circumstances. Life is tough. Times are hard. But if you are a child of God, He is there in your midst. Immanuel, God with us, is there. Jesus promised, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

What we have to understand is threefold: 1) Jesus is with us. We are not alone, not unnoticed by Him. So be encouraged to know He is with you in your trouble. 2) God reveals Himself through our circumstances. If you are going through something tough, then keep looking for Him. He is trying to show you something about Himself: His protection or provision, His love for you, HIs strength, His devotion. Be looking for His revealed character, and when you notice it, thank Him and hold onto it because that was specifically for you. 3) Sometimes God’s word softens hearts and people change. Praise God! But sometimes God’s word hardens hearts, like Pharaoh’s. Either way, His word will do its job. So, if you’ve been called to share His word, and you think that word will cause difficulty or strife, or even a hard heart, then be prayerful and share with grace, but by all means - share! Even though we don’t understand God’s logic at times, remember, a hardened heart may be the result God desires. However, that hardened heart may be the very thing that reveals the LORD’s tender love and care to someone else, so don’t be afraid to share. Let the LORD determine the outcome of His word. And hold onto the beautiful image of the fruitful, life-giving effects of God’s word found in Isaiah 55:8-13:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts; Nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush, the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle, the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the LORD For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”