10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV)
Nothing written in the Bible is without merit. Every word from it that is read or spoken goes out and comes back with some outcome. We may not see this clearly, but the Word of God has immense power and the ability to make a difference in the darkest lives, lived in the darkest places. There is literally no place so dark that the light of God’s Word cannot penetrate.
If we consider the places the Word of God has been taken, we can see the truth of the above statement. Ministers, missionaries and common lay-persons have preached the Gospel in some incredibly dark places. It has been preached in slums, prisons, wealthy communities and poor. In back water places on the earth, in every country and to nearly all peoples. When it has truly reached everyone, Christ will return. And no matter if where it is being preached is the lowest of lows or highest of heights, it has found sinners there wanting to listen.
The Word goes out and even when people do not believe, here too is a return. Maybe not the one God desired, but a return none the less. God wants everyone to listen, hear and repent, accepting the message and turning away from sin. But not all do, and again, this too is a return.
So never fear that your ministry to others of word or deed is done without return. When we preach the Word there is always a return.
