God Speaks
Jesus Instucts the Twelve Before Sending Them Out
Verse of the Day: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in Heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in Heaven. (Matthew 10: 32-33 NIV 2011)
Read or listen on BibleGateway.com
Watch TBR Day 289
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 10:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God knows everything about every one of the 8 billion people on planet Earth right now, including their names.
2. Any authority people have (over evil spirits, illness, death, etc.) has been given to us by God, specifically by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit because of the cross.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 10?
Thank You, Father God that You know each of the eight billion people on planet Earth right now by name. You know everything about each one, even the number of the hairs on our heads. You know the plans and purposes You have for each of us. You, Jesus, knew each of the Twelve as You called them to accompany You and serve the kingdom of Heaven. As You sent them out, their assignment was to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.” At other times, You told them to preach to the poor the good news of who You are and what You do. We are to do the same. As we do, You promise to supply all that we need to complete the assignment: money, clothing, transportation, equipment, resources, and food; however, that does not mean that we can just sit back and do nothing. We must ask for Your direction and provision and be totally dependent on and obedient to You. As we enter a village, city, or place of service (even our workplaces and schools), we are to seek the peace and well-being of that group of people. If they reject us because of Your message, we are to leave it to You to deal with them. You say opposition and persecution will come from our own family members, our neighbors, our community officials, our religious leaders, or our government. Some of my brothers and sisters in Christ are experiencing this right now. Help them, Father. You promise that if we trust and obey You, we will be given the right words to say at the right time to bear witness to those leaders or oppressors and to others who do not know You, LORD God. We are not to be fearful or anxious, but to remember how valuable we are to You: God values human beings so much that Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son, came to earth, ministered, suffered, died, and rose again so that our sins could be forgiven, and we could be in Your presence forever. If anyone gives their life in proclaiming the message of Your cross and resurrection and in service to others, Jesus will acknowledge them before the Father and reward them appropriately. Thank You, Father. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 10?
- I will use the website www.operationworld.org to investigate how I might pray for some of those 8 billion people that God knows so well and loves so deeply.
- I will spend at least fifteen minutes daily asking the Lord to show me some of His plans and purposes for my life now and in the future, recording what He shows me.
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to work through me to do at least one of the tasks (listed in Matthew 10) Jesus assigned to the Twelve, reporting to __________ (specific fellow believers) what happens.
- I will share about Christ to _________ (a specific person, or group) this week, relying on Jesus and leaving the results to Him.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.