Is the Gospel Hidden?

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Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NLT)

3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Devotion:

            Why does it seem that we have such a challenging time convincing people of the truth of the gospel message that we communicate? The Apostle Paul supplies us with a clear answer in today’s passage. Satan the enemy of God and God’s people is behind the fog which surrounds some people when it comes to hearing the good news of Jesus Christ. Our message is plain and simple; however, the devil likes to make it seem complicated and difficult to comprehend. Is there no hope of making any progress against Satan’s schemes?

            The only remedy for this situation is prayer. We must pray constantly that God will remove the brain fog that Satan likes to use against us. We need to be clear on what the Gospel is to make sure that we are not causing any miscommunication on our end. Satan is clear about his intent to blind the eyes and stop the ears of unbelievers to keep anyone from following Jesus in a life of discipleship and service. So, we must be in the scriptures and in prayer to keep our own minds eye open and ears unstopped. Then we can be effective witnesses for Christ in our communities.

            Part of the success that the late Billy Graham had in leading crusades where thousands came forward to make a commitment to Jesus was prayer. There were thousands of people praying for Jesus to work through Billy in every city he visited. The evangelist was always covered in and by prayer during his rallies.

            How much more then should we be covered in prayer when we try to spread the good news in our world that is so filled with bad news that it is hard for God to be heard above the noise. We know that eventually all will come to see Jesus as he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords until that day we must be witnessing for God. The devil is convinced that his time is short, so he is pulling out all the stops in his campaign to deceive the world. God’s people must have a sense of urgency about them. We must proclaim the Good News that Jesus comes to save sinners such as you and me at every opportunity. Let us pray for urgency and boldness in our witness to the world.

Prayer:

            Lord, we lift your name on high. You have done marvelous things for your people. Encourage our hearts now to tell of your wonderful deeds to the people of this world. The world is becoming a dark place, Lord Christ, may we be beacons of light and hope in this cold, dark world. Help us to be faithful to your calling for harvesters, for surely the harvest is ready, all that is missing is us. Send us Lord Jesus. Amen

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