Just One Person
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him. – John 4:28-30.
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. – John 4:39-41.
And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. – Mark 5:18-20.
Yacouba Sawadogo of northern Burkina Faso is known as the man who stopped the desert. Yacouba used an ancient practice known as Zai to plant trees. The practice worked and in 20 years he successfully grew a forest of 30 acres where before it had been a completely barren area. Others took notice and began to use the same techniques for planting trees as Yacouba used. Chris Reji, a natural resources management specialist says, “Tens of thousands of hectares of land that was completely unproductive has been made productive again thanks to the techniques of Yacouba.” The determined efforts of one man have halted the advance of the desert and saved the livelihoods of countless families. (Wikipedia, National Geographic Magazine, Permaculture Magazine)
One person helped to stop a desert. One person can point many others to Jesus and hold back the barren desert of spiritual darkness. The woman at the well of John 4 did exactly that. Once she understood and believed nothing could stop her from telling others about Jesus. The people of her city knew this woman’s life had been transformed and they poured out of the city to find Jesus for themselves. The former demoniac of Mark 5 and Luke 8 was left behind by Jesus. Jesus had to leave, but he left behind a man determined to tell everyone he possibly could about the great things that Jesus had done in his life. This one man went through the ten independent city states of Decapolis proclaiming Jesus, “and all marveled.”
One man, Jonah, after being in the belly of the great fish, was a man determined to proclaim the message God had given him. It was enough to turn thousands upon thousands of people to God and spare an entire nation from God’s destruction. Saul, who became the apostle Paul after being struck blind on the road to Damascus, would let nothing stop him from sharing the truth about Jesus.
The woman of John 4, the man of Mark 5, and the apostle Paul were absolutely fearless in delivering the good news of Jesus. Jonah was absolutely fearless in delivering God’s message of the coming destruction that was planned for Nineveh. Nothing could stop them from sharing God’s truth. Just one man, just one woman can transform the world around them when they are empowered by the Spirit of God. What about your world? Is the world around you different, better, since Jesus came into your life?
(Just one person can make a tremendous difference in countless lives.)