Key Verse
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
(Matthew 10:39)
Central Truth
God loves us and cares about every detail in our lives. He wants us to love and serve our friends and family. But God must always come first in our lives.
GOD COMES FIRST
In this chapter, Jesus calls his disciples to go out and spread the gospel. He gives them the authority to heal sickness and drive out demons. He warns them of the persecution that they will face. And He reminds them, “Freely you have received, freely give”.
What does that mean to me? How can I apply this concept to my daily life?
God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, beautiful children, a warm safe place to live, and everything that I need. Because I have been so richly blessed, I need to be a blessing to others. I need to serve others as though I were serving God himself.
God loves me more than I can imagine. “And even the very hairs of your head are numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Mt 10:30-31.
Most people have heard their parent or Sunday school teacher tell them that God counts each one of their hairs, but have you ever stopped to really think about what that means? God knows and cares about every single detail of your life. He loves you completely. So much so, that He sent his only son to die on the cross for you.
What does he ask in return? He wants you to follow him. He wants to be your first priority. “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me”. Mt. 10:37-38.
Following God is not always easy. Just as the disciples suffered persecution, so will we. Devotion to God can lead to rifts between friends and loved ones. Differences in values and beliefs will sometimes cause conflict. We need to love and care for others, but God must always come before everything else.
Today, I challenge you to be a blessing to those around you and to always put God first.
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Thanks, Val, for this devotion this morning. In this world where people disappoint you and circumstances change, I needed this reminder of how much I am loved and blessed. It is something I tell my children, but this morning I am really thankful that my God knows every hair on my head! Wow!
ReplyDeletei love the way you wrote this devotion. it is so easy for me to read, reflect, and pray. putting God first is a challenge, i must admit, that i have to really, really work on! thanks for this devotion!
ReplyDeleteIn verse 11 and 13 of this chapter...can anyone shed light on what is meant by "worthy"? Why did Jesus command them to seek out"the worthy". What told them WHO was "worthy"? Just wondering. Was He asking them to find out Who would be willing to count the cost of following Christ?
ReplyDelete"It is really good that you are asking questions and studying and wondering about scripture. That is always a good thing!
ReplyDeleteSometimes the word in Greek (N.T.) or Hebrew (O.T.) does not translate easily into our English words with just one word, and so at times like this, it is good to go to Strong's Concordance and look up the meaning in this very specific case. In Mt. 10:11, the word "worthy" comes from "axios" meaning "deserving, suitable, open to, and worth the stay"
So, verse 11, COULD read, "search for some suitable or one you would consider worth staying in" house......." Helps clarify the meaning, doesn't it? It has nothing to do with
intrinsic "worthiness" but rather with a "suitable to stay in" house.. In verse 13, many translations already used the word "deserving or suitable for the stay" instead of "worthy".
THANK YOU for that! that does clarify it more.. because I couldn't mesh the two concepts that Jesus was talking about when he was saying I came to "heal the sick" and then "find somebody worthy"....totally different concept from being a "suitable staying place" ; ) Thanks for the clearing the "smoke".
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