Verse: Matthew 10: 8-10
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Devotion
I went on a missions trip to Africa many years ago with 5-6 adults and over 20 teens and early twenty year olds. We started planning 6 months ahead of the trip. We read books about the culture, raised money for the plane flight, and even bought clothes that we were going to leave there with our new friends. We brought instruments and sound equipment.
I guess we didn’t read Matthew 10. Jesus was telling his disciples to go and do miraculous things but do not take money or extra clothes. Why did he do this? He was trying to teach them to lean on God for all things. They were going to experience the goodness and protection of God during their time serving others. Jesus knew that they needed to learn this lesson while out their praying for the sick and demonized. They would learn that only God can heal and that they were His conduits. They would also learn that, by giving of themselves, they would receive all that they needed: food, clothing, places to sleep.
It turns out that, even though we did a lot of planning, we learned the same lessons on our trip. We saw miracles happen. We received many into the kingdom. We were provided food from people that had very little themselves. It was all very humbling.
Are you in a place where you don’t see a lot happening when you pray? Are you trying to plan out every step in your journey with God? Sometimes all it takes is a step of faith. If you get a nudge to go pray for someone, just go do it. Don’t over think it. Consider doing something out of the ordinary, like taking a meal to a neighbor in need, or volunteering with one of our non-profits. You may be surprised at what God has for you if you do. He wants you to follow Him, often in the moment, even if you don’t have your extra tunic or your staff.
Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to follow you when you call us. We want to be part of your plan here on earth. Help us to grow in you as we put ourselves out there for your kingdom. Thank you for your tremendous love for us.
Author: Brad Dunn
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