Counting the Cost: Noah’s Story

by Jacob Fruchtman

As a missionary, I meet Jewish people from all walks of life, and I focus on building relationships, facilitating Bible study and discerning how God is leading – all in the hustle and bustle of New York City.

When I first met Noah*, he had been seeking spiritual truth for some time. Noah is in his mid-30s, and despite having a successful career and a beautiful fiancée, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was missing; he felt the void of not having God in his life.

During our first visit, it was clear that Noah was not yet a believer but was on his way to faith. We read some Bible passages, I shared the gospel with him, and he understood it. Noah wanted to believe but was scared to go ‘all in’ because he worried what his atheist Jewish fiancée and reform Jewish parents would think. He was counting the cost.

Three days later, Noah came to our Shabbat gathering. He listened intently as Jewish believers in Messiah shared their testimonies. He reiterated his reasons for holding back his profession of faith: his fiancée and his family. I asked him if he had prayed to acknowledge Yeshua as his Messiah. He hadn’t but was willing to pray with me. As I led him in a prayer of repentance, we were both filled with joy. Praise God!

Now, Noah considers himself ‘all in’ for Yeshua, his Messiah, and we meet weekly for discipleship and to study God’s Word. He told his fiancée, and although she doesn’t understand, she is willing to come to our next Shabbat gathering. He hasn’t told his family yet, and this is a source of stress for him.

Please remember Noah in your prayers and pray that his fiancée and his family will also come to faith as they see Messiah’s grace at work in Noah’s life.