Good Morning Friends,
One of the hardest parts of witnessing is discerning when the Spirit is saying “stay” and when the Spirit is saying “let go.” It is almost like a Jimmy Durante stick. The thing is that some people simply will not receive the gospel no matter how faithfully, lovingly, or sacrificially we try. Some who once seemed to believe, just stopped believing. And that is especially true with people who in their youth did not get a positive upbringing in the faith. Timothy is the example here of a youth who was raised right and was all in. Timothy even submitted to circumcision as an adult to remove barriers for Jewish listeners—an act of radical sensitivity and commitment—yet many still refused to hear. We plant seeds, we pray, we love, we show Christ, but some hearts remain closed until God Himself breaks them open. So the question becomes in youth ministry in fact in all ministry: after planting the seed, do we keep pressing in, or do we release them to God’s timing? Jesus’ Spirit at the cross teaches us that letting go is not abandonment—it is trust. When it comes to being fishers of people, the Spirit catches; we release. And sometimes the fish must want to be caught. So, Do We Go or Let Go?
Scripture Summaries:
Acts 18:5–6 Paul preaches Christ to the Jews in Corinth, but when they reject and insult him, he shakes the dust from his clothes—a symbolic act of release—and turns to the Gentiles.
Acts 18:9–18 The Lord reassures Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid…for I am with you.” Paul stays in Corinth for eighteen months teaching, even amid opposition. God protects him, opens doors, closes others, and guides him step by step.
John 16:20–23 Jesus tells His disciples that sorrow will come first—like labor pains—but joy will follow when they see Him resurrected. Their grief will turn into a joy no one can take away.
John 19:31–34 At the cross, Jesus’ death is confirmed when His side is pierced and blood and water flow—pain giving birth to the new life of the church.
Message: I’ve never given birth, but I’ve witnessed the labor process twice. The pain, the waiting, the uncertainty—and then the joy. The transformation, I am told, is so complete that the anguish is swallowed up by love.This is the pattern of the church’s birth. Pain, then joy. Closed doors, then open ones. Resistance, then resurrection. Acts shows Paul experiencing both—doors slammed shut and doors flung wide. John shows Jesus teaching that sorrow precedes joy, just as the cross precedes resurrection. Even the blood and water from Jesus’ side echo the imagery of birth: the church emerging through suffering into new life. Tradition matters. Vows matter. But the Spirit’s timing matters most. A door closed today may open years later, just as Asia—once closed to Paul—became a field of harvest.
And So on our journey to Pentecost, we remember: God’s love births revival. God’s Spirit guides our going and our letting go. We witness faithfully, but we do not force fruit. We trust the Spirit who opens hearts, opens doors, and opens tombs for all who would believe.
Pray the Holy Spirit transforms us in love and casts out fear. Pray we join the ongoing ministry of Christ in our midst. Pray we see Jesus in each other. Pray we stay when the Spirit says stay and go when the Spirit says go. Pray we trust the Spirit to open the right doors at the right time. Pray we realize that Christ sets us free.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 