Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

John 12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Early on in this effort I began with a devotional called My Witness. In it I described a miracle. I also said scoffers would not believe me to be a creditable witness. I can speak to all that Lord has done in me that are miracles to believers and seem creditable. That is because God has already done miraculous things in their lives.

What of the lost? How can we be a creditable witness to the lost? It isn’t going to be accomplished by raising speculation about our own sanity. It has to unfold in two forms.

We must show them love. They have to feel like we have their best interests at heart or anything we may say will roll of their backs like water off a duck. This takes an investment. Even in street evangelism we must show an interest in what they think and believe. The second part is vital.

We need to know what we are talking about. We need to counter lies with creditable truth, one that stands up to reason and does not simply decry the speaker as a liar. In order for one to lie, they must first know the truth. Being convinced of a lie does not make them a liar, it makes them a victim of Satan’s lies.

Where do we begin? We begin with bring the Kingdom of God into this earthly realm. It is a spiritual kingdom and the spirit must be at work in this world in order for us to be creditable witnesses. He is the spirit of truth and as such must be heard and allowed to speak.

Proverbs 15:19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

Nowhere in the bible is the gospel described as simple. It is however according to the parable of the sower to be received with understanding. Over the past few weeks I have laid out points of interest to hopefully make some gospel issues plain. I’ve identified different points of interest with details sufficient enough to make each plainly understood.

Here in this proverb we look at the slothful man and his hedge of thorns. Language definitions change over time rendering an understanding of slothful as being lazy. What if it meant slow? The sloth is very slow and very deliberate. You can see in their movement that every branch is tested a little bit at a time to see if it is safe to bear its weight.

The hedge of thorns is a method of providing protection. They do not want to be vulnerable. In contrast we have what is called simple. Here again language has altered the meaning to identify simple people as being stupid and that is not the case in salvation.

Psalm 116:6 The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

Think of simple as those who do not have a haughty spirit. They are not arrogant.

Romans 16:19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

In this case Paul refers to simple as being innocent. Jesus implied as much in one of His more noticeable chastisements.

Matthew 19:13-14 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Two attributes of note in young children that are well loved are trust and innocence.