Daily Devotion of Matthew 10

Header from Matthew in a 1611 KJV
Daily Nugget:
When one gets saved, he is expected to serve the Lord that saved him. No one is to lazily sit and soak up God's goodness. He is to do what the God commands in His Word: to go and tell others the messages from God's Word, feed one’s self spiritually, have a relationship with the Lord, and to do what the Lord lays on one’s heart to do for Him. These seem to some to be simple tasks, but these responsibilities can cause one a lot of grief when determining to do them.

Matthew 10 is primarily to the disciples that Jesus had hand-picked. The context of the passages is about these men who were to reach the Jews. They were warned ahead of time and that it would not be an easy task to tell others what they had learned from Christ.

Although it was addressed to the disciples reaching the people of Israel, there is much that they faced, that if we try to live and do right, we also expect to encounter. This may include persecution and resistance.

Here is what may be encountered by those striving to be a good Christian and be obedient to God’s commandments even today:

  • There will be some that will not receive the message of the Scriptures. Not everyone will jump for joy when they are told what the Word of God says. We probably were not excited the first time we heard the truths from God’s Word, either.
    “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.” Matthew 10:14
  • There will be problems from the “religious.” Not everyone that has a “form of godliness” is a Christian. It was a religious group that tried the hardest to silence Christ. They did not want anyone exposing that their “religion” was contrary to what was taught in God’s Word (vss. 16-17). Many of the “religious” today also do not want to hear the truth. They choose only to believe their traditions, doctrines, and interpretations of the Scriptures.
  • The secular government may also oppose efforts to tell the world God’s way of living. Many government officials think their rules and laws are what the world needs. They do not understand how a good Christian life can solve man’s needs and problems. In Jesus’ death, the government was much involved in His murder. They were one of Christ’s biggest opposers.
  • There may be conflicts from a family when a member gets saved and lives differently than He did before (vs. 21).
  • A Christian may be hated for how he lives (vs. 22). It is incredible how the world “understands” and tolerates criminals and those in outright sin, but those that are living right often get more criticism and hatred than those purposely doing wrong. Perhaps, it is the godly example that convicts and troubles their consciences. The only way they can silence their nagging guilt is to get rid of the messenger, rather than change themselves!

It was not easy for these men to make a stand and live for Christ. It is not easy today to live according to the way the Bible commands, and that may be why so many do not live righteously. They quit when the going gets tough. Do not quit! Do right no matter what others say or do!

Today’s Thought: 
"Following God’s directions is the only way to get safely home.”

Words to Understand:
Beelzebub: “a heathen deity, believed to be the prince of evil spirits” — Unger’s Bible Dictionary
Farthing: one-fourth of a penny
Variance: the difference between fact and opinion; varying from expected results.

Today’s Reading:
Matthew 10
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5 ¶ These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
16 ¶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion in Psalm 150

Daily View Devotion in Psalm 148

Daily Devotion in Psalm 149