Stay A Little Longer

I want to begin today by driving home the importance of your testimony. We talked yesterday about the Samaritan woman taking her testimony back to the town and how all the people came to be with Jesus, but I forgot to tell you the last part, the most important part, found in verse 39. “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”

Our testimonies open up the door for people to encounter Jesus. The Samaritans listened to what the woman had to say, then they were willing to listen to what Jesus had to say, and their lives were changed for eternity.

But listening to Jesus for an afternoon wasn’t enough for these Samaritans. They were so intrigued by what Jesus said that they wanted Him to stay there longer. They were obviously captivated by His words.

If we return to the story in John 4 it says that Jesus and His disciples were going from Judea to Galilee. The stop in Sychar was supposed to be a quick break on their journey, not necessarily their destination. But plans were changed like they so often are.

The New International Version Chapter 4

So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

Jesus stayed for two days in Sychar and because He stayed with them many became believers. Jesus does this with us doesn’t He? He stays with us. He is not quick to leave to go to the next place because His agenda is more important. He stays and walks through life with us. I love that about Him. He is not pressured by a schedule, He’s not too busy with everything else He needs to do, He simply stays.

I think this is important for us in this time. As we see opportunities to share our testimonies with people, would we do so without an agenda. Would we not let our busy schedule dictate the movement of the Spirit.

I have experienced many times when the Holy Spirit tells me to stay. Even through awkward silence and moments of waiting. Just to stay and wait it out. Speak to a person, tell them about Jesus and then wait a little longer.

We just planted our garden the other day. Some of the plants were seedlings, others were seeds. As our kids helped us, they naturally asked how long it would take for the seeds to produce vegetables. I showed them the packets and said that we won’t even see leaves sprout for a couple weeks. Hopefully the hail the other day didn’t completely obliterate them. But we have to learn to be patient in the process. We can go to our garden every day and water the dirt hills even though we don’t see any growth. What’s happening beneath the surface is more important than what we see above ground.

When we send out our testimonies, the Holy Spirit does something with them. He can plant them in the heart of a person and it might take some time to see anything come from it. But all too often we want to rush the process. Or we quickly begin to doubt that our words had any affect at all.

Jesus’ Words were planted in the hearts of the people in Sychar and He tarried there two extra days before He saw a greater harvest.

Our testimonies introduce people to Jesus, it opens up a door for them to encounter Him through us, but if we wait around and we are intentional about this process, they will eventually come face to face with Him. And when they do, they will hopefully have the same response as the people from Sychar. John 4:42

The New International Version Chapter 4

They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

If you have been given an opportunity to share Jesus with someone through your testimony, don’t leave too early. Don’t give up so quickly. Don’t think your words are without affect. You don’t see what is happening beneath the surface. You don’t know what the Master Gardener is doing with those seeds in a person’s soul.

If you have shared your testimony with someone, make sure to pray for that person daily. Check in on them. Be present in their lives. Don’t b8e annoying about it, but let them know that you are there if they ever need to talk or process what God is doing in their life.

A harvest doesn’t just appear, it usually takes time and intentionality. Our garden will not just appear, it takes time and lots of care in order for it to produce anything. I think that being a part of the harvest process is the most rewarding thing we can ever experience. To see a person go from pre believer to believer, no matter how long it takes, is to be a part of the supernatural work of the Master Gardener. Be patient in the process and don’t give up. The harvest is coming so in the meantime we will eagerly participate in what God is doing right now and anticipate what He will do at harvest time.

The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 4:39). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.