Lengthen My Sleeves

 

Lord, give me long sleeves!

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

Zec 8:23 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'"

 

Any of you who have had younger brothers and sisters know how irritating it was to have “tagalongs.” Well, here’s a prophecy that challenges us to bring as many “tagalongs” with us into the kingdom of God!

 

This prophecy from Zechariah is being played out in front of us in these “latter” days. It’s the fruit of the great commission! Where men from every nation will hear the gospel and “grasp the sleeve” (tagalong) with Jesus.

 

Concerning the great commission, Jesus tells us in  Mt 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

 

The number ten in this passage from Zechariah is symbolic of completeness, so this gospel will go forth and the number who will receive it (or reject it) will be complete. In that sense, none will be lost, whom our God has called. The Lord knows who are His!  (2Ti 2:19

 

The “grasping of the sleeve of a Jewish man,” causes me to think of the woman with the incurable bloody issue who touched the garment of Jesus, (in this verse from Zechariah, the Jewish man) and she was immediately healed.  Jesus response to her touching is telling. He said in , Lu 8:46, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."

 

The power going out from Jesus is the church sharing the Gospel message to the world! We are His sleeves!

 

Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power (same word Jesus used in healing the woman) of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

 

I’m not an evangelist per se, but it is my prayer that others will plainly see that “Immanuel” (Jesus) is with me, and that they would have a desire to tag along with me on my journey to eternal fellowship with the Father.

 

So I pray, “God, lengthen my sleeves, don’t let me shake them off by any loveless deeds,  and help me to take as many with me as possible.

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word