Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
"The Power of Referral"
August 5, 2020
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For "everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News!" But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.
Have you ever done something based on someone's referral? If you think about it, we get "plugs" from others in a lot of ways. They range from good places to eat, to that "straight-shooter" mechanic who does good work at a fair price, to the latest don't-miss-this feature on TV. The power of a friend's word to shape our thinking and influence our decision-making has great force.
In the ancient world, the power of the word was awesome, too. The sharing of information and ideas by word of mouth often took place long and repeatedly before anything was ever set down on a page of papyrus or some other surface. One's voice was the message-bearer—the vehicle for telling others about the best olive prices, the latest ruling from the local Roman governor, or best of all—who Jesus is.
It's no different today, is it? Sure, we can blast out our thoughts electronically, in all sorts of ways, using all kinds of media and devices, but there's nothing quite like having a good old-fashioned conversation—one on one, heart to heart, old school.
Having face-to-face conversations may be somewhat limited these days—with social distancing and all—but like the apostle Paul says above: "And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" With our mouths, we confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, and with these mouths we also proclaim Him to the world.
May our words refer others to Jesus, the One who died and rose again, so we might live forever.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, let the truth of Your Word be in our hearts and on our lips. Like the Good News it is, reminds us to share it with others freely and often. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. What's the best referral you've ever received? Why?This Daily Devotion was written by Paul Schreiber. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
2. Has there been someone who has presented Jesus to you that really connected with you? Who was that person?
3. Do you try to refer others to Jesus and the Good News of God's love?
What's the best referral you've ever received? Why?
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