China’s Population: 1.4 Billion

India’s Population: 1.3 Billion

World Population: 7 Billion

For those of you that have seen our deputation video of China, you may remember a few scenes of folks in China crossing the street.  It’s not uncommon we hear gasps of astonishment whenever that scene emerges onto the screens of churches.  It’s amazing enough just to see the sea of faces as they move against each other doing something as simple as crossing a street, but what should send us to our knees is knowing God said He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  How then will we ever be able to reach the people of the world with the gospel?  What can the effort of one man do?  The size of the task and the number of the people should not be a concern to us.  Let us not spend a moment to despair or give in to futility.  Our God holds the nations and the hearts of kings in His hand.

“Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” -Isaiah 40:15

As I spend time in thought of billions of people unreached, condemned already, and no hope, I can’t help but feel their weight fall on my mind and even share in their hopelessness unless someone tell them of Jesus.  But is that how God feel’s?  Does God feel that the work is too large and futile?  Did God despair when He gave the responsibility of the Gospel to a ragtag group of people?  Surely the nations are just a drop in a bucket to Him… a very little thing.

Now, each face in the passing crowds represents a deep wish, longing, and time spent in thought over these dear souls.  Let us not doubt the will of the Lord in this matter, He cares for each soul as deeply as does anyone giving His own Son for their reconciliation.  His love for them extends beyond whatever prejudices we may hold towards our enemies, “races”, or other peoples we might consider barbaric. Yet in the sight of such a great work for reaching every man’s soul with the Gospel, the Lord Jesus entrusted this task to a small group of disciples who at one time or another abandoned Him in the time of persecution and doubt.  Can we make sense of God’s plan?  Are you sure you want to make sense of God’s plan?  I for one do not desire a God that I can understand, for then I would need nothing but my own intellect to rely on, and yet the Godless men of this generation seek that very thing.  Im glad the fate of my eternal well-being does not rest in the hope of man.  But praise be to God that His ways are much higher than our ways, unsearchable, and no measure of scientific research will ever uncover His mysteries.

“With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgement and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?” -Isaiah 40:14

When will we begin to rely on that counsel and His power?  When will our giving to the work reflect the trust we sing about in our songs?  When will God’s people give a unified attendance to witnessing and warning the lost of an eternal hell?  When will the people of God confess their sins, humble themselves and turn towards God?  When will the preachers of the word preach against sin representing God’s judgements without apology?  When will our missionary methods and endeavors reflect the boldness of our Lord as He preached against the religious world, turned over the money tables, and marched His cross to Calvary?  What an awesome God we have, let us trust in His power and get to work!