“Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road .”
Luke 10:4, (NLT)
In this verse, we see Jesus essentially instructing His disciples to rid themselves of all unnecessary baggage and to stay focused on the task at hand. It was customary for travelers during those days to stop and converse at length with those they encountered along their journey. It wasn’t our Lord’s intention to teach His disciples to be uncourteous or rude, but to encourage them to avoid anything that would hinder or slow their mission. They were to treat their work with the utmost importance even if that meant forgoing common civilities.
Today, let’s take a few moments to examine our lives and rid ourselves any unnecessary baggage that may be pulling our focus away from the Lord and the work He has called us to. Pray that God would show us any unconfessed sin so that nothing will slow or hinder God’s mission for us.
Prayerfully,
Madison
God freed the Israelites from captivity, but the enemy was relentless. Pharoah was in hot pursuit and threatened to return them to a place of bondage.
In this verse, Jesus also reminds His disciples that they will be going out “as lambs among wolves.” We face a real enemy, who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Our advisory, the devil, will undoubtedly try to discourage us, distract us, and hinder our efforts. Today, pray that God will place a hedge of protection around us and keep Satan from pulling us away from our mission to share the gospel. Pray that we will keep our eyes on the Lord knowing that no matter what we may face – HE IS IN CONTROL.