While my high school sweetheart and I dated many years ago, I did my best to minister the truth of God's Word to him, with no success. Several months after the relationship ended badly, we met again, and he told me how he had begun to believe in the existence of God. He described how he had begun seeing the beauty of nature as a gift from a mighty and loving Creator. And when he was killed in a tragic accident in his early 20s, I took great comfort in that last conversation we had.

Many Christians wonder what will happen to the masses of people throughout the course of time who don't have access to the Bible or the Gospel message. If you are one of these folks, let me assure you that our God has ways of reaching every individual whose heart is open to Him. Think about men like Abraham and Moses. They had no Scriptures to refer to, and yet the Lord spoke to them. The truth is that God reveals Himself to ALL mankind, whether or not they have access to the Word of God.

One way the Lord reveals Himself to people is through their conscience. Scripture says: "For the truth about God is known to them instinctively; God has put this knowledge in their hearts." (Romans 1:19 TLB) The Lord has programmed our conscience to understand the basic distinctions between right and wrong. The problem is that we choose not to live up to God's standards, and instead, we live our own way. And this is why we need a savior. When we receive Christ as our personal Savior, and make the decision to live His way, we renew our minds with the truth of God's Word, and we stop being conformed to the ways of this world. (Romans 12:2) Proverbs says: "Blessed are those who have a tender conscience, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble." (Proverbs 28:14 NLT) You and I can cooperate with the Holy Spirit to tenderize our consciences by studying, applying, and meditating upon the truths contained in Scripture. As we do, we discover the blessings and rewards of living the Lord's way.

Another way that God reveals Himself to mankind is through creation. The Bible says: "Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of His existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse when they stand before God on Judgment Day." (Romans 1:20 TLB) The Creator displays His power and divine attributes through what He has made. Psalm 19 puts it this way: "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world." (Psalm 19:1-4 NLT) As we look around us, the only logical conclusion we can come to is that there exists a loving, sovereign God.

Just because the Lord reveals Himself through creation and man's conscience, that doesn't absolve us from our responsibility to share the Gospel and lead others to Christ. Scripture says that God has given us the "task of reconciling people to Him." And it's our job to tell them that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us." (2 Corinthians 5:19,20 NLT) It's an awesome responsibility, but the Lord has not left us alone to carry it out. He's given us His Holy Spirit to "give [us] the right words at the right time," each and every time He leads us to confront someone with the Gospel message. (Matthew 10:19 NLT) What are you doing to spread the Word today?

Prayer: Lord, thank You for revealing Yourself to all people. Use me to draw multitudes to You, and to Your life-changing truth. Give me a love for Your Word that will lead me to devote myself to it more and more. Today, I commit myself to do whatever it is I need to do to be mightily used by You!

- J. M. Farro