Friend Of Sinners: 5-Day DevotionalSample

     The first witness of the gospel, the very first preacher of the gospel, was Mary   Magdalene. She was a woman, which meant in that culture she had little public   status or influence. She was an ex-demoniac, which means she probably had a  past, a reputation, and a lot of baggage. But Jesus said, “Mary, you’ve seen me. You know my love. Your heart is full. Now let the love of God spill out to others.”
 

    That’s how it works. We don’t have to be weird to evangelize. We don’t have to force ourselves to talk about Jesus for others to believe. We just need to let God’s life and love overflow wherever we go. Sometimes that means talking, but often it just means loving and accepting people. It means enjoying life, because your joy and peace will make more people wonder what you’ve got—and how they can get it—than any sermon you could preach.
 

    Mary went back to the disciples and said simply, “I have seen the Lord!” (verse 18 NLT). Then she told them what he said. From that moment on, things were different. The disciples eventually turned the world upside down with the simple revelation that Jesus was alive.
 

    Jesus’ teaching was incredible. His miracles were astonishing. But it was his resurrection that made all the difference. Don’t underestimate the importance or power of that statement: “I have seen the Lord.”
 

    Maybe you are struggling with debt, and you can’t find a way out. Maybe you are hiding an addiction and it’s eating you up, but you don’t know where to turn. Maybe your heart has been broken, and you wonder if you’ll be able to go on. Maybe you wonder if God is real or if he cares about you.
 

    Maybe you can’t see Jesus through your tears, but he can see you. He’s standing next to you, I promise. He is aware of what you are going through. He knows your pain, and he calls your name. Turn to him and see him for who he really is. Your life will never be same, because Jesus is near.