Shake the Dust from Your Feet : Luke 9:3-5 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

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Shake the Dust from Your Feet - Luke 9:3-5

He said to the apostles, "When you travel, don't take a walking stick. Also, don't carry a bag, food, or money. Take for your trip only the clothes you are wearing. When you go into a house, stay there until it is time to leave. If the people in the town will not welcome you, go outside the town and shake their dust off of your feet. This will be a warning to them." (ERV) Full Text

Key Thought

Some folks are determined to reject the message of Jesus. There are many reasons why this is true, but they all boil down to one truth—Satan has poisoned their hearts to the good news of God's Kingdom in Jesus Christ. Rather than keep beating our heads against a wall that the evil one has erected in the heart of someone, God calls us to move on in our efforts to reach others. If we are in the same family or office or neighborhood and have regular proximity to them and can't move on, then we are called to live our faith before them and pray that our actions will demonstrate the faith we profess and win them before the day of Christ.

Today's Prayer

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Father, please give me wisdom to know the best way to share the message of Jesus with all those that I know who are not yet Christians. Father, I recognize that only you can break down the barriers Satan erects in the hearts of those who reject your message. Help me know when it is best to move on and leave that work to you. In the lives of those near and dear to me, please use my daily faithfulness as one of the influences used to win their hearts for Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

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Today's Verses in Context

Jesus called the twelve apostles together. He gave the apostles power to heal sicknesses and power to force demons out of people. Jesus sent the apostles to tell about God's kingdom and to heal the sick. He said to the apostles, "When you travel, don't take a walking stick. Also, don't carry a bag, food, or money. Take for your trip only the clothes you are wearing. When you go into a house, stay there until it is time to leave. If the people in the town will not welcome you, go outside the town and shake their dust off of your feet. This will be a warning to them." So the apostles went out. They traveled through all the towns. They told the Good News and healed people everywhere. Governor Herod heard about all these things that were happening. He was confused because some people said, "John the Baptizer is risen from death." Other people said, "Elijah has come to us." And some other people said, "One of the prophets from long ago has risen from death." Herod said, "I cut off John's head. So who is this man I hear these things about?" Herod continued trying to see Jesus.

— Luke 9:1-9 (ERV)

Comments on "Shake the Dust from Your Feet":

The ruler of this world (the devil) has blinded the minds of people who don't believe. They cannot see the light (truth) of the Good News—the Good News about the glory of Christ. Christ is the One who is exactly like God. —2 Corinthians 4:4 (ERV)

But Paul and Barnabas spoke very boldly. They said, "We must speak the message of God to you Jews first. But you refuse to listen. You are making yourselves lost—not worthy of having eternal life! So we will now go to the people of other nations! This is what the Lord (God) told us to do. The Lord said: 'I have made you to be a light for other nations, so that you can show the way of salvation to people all over the world.'" When the non-Jewish people heard Paul say this, they were happy. They gave honor to the message of the Lord. And many of the people believed the message. These were the people chosen to have life forever. And so the message of the Lord was being told through the whole country. But the Jews caused some of the important religious women and the leaders of the city to become angry and to be against Paul and Barnabas. These people did things against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of town. So Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet. Then they went to the city of Iconium. But the followers {of Jesus in Antioch} were happy and full of the Holy Spirit. —Acts 13:46-52 (ERV)

In the same way you wives should be willing to serve your husbands. Then, if some of your husbands have not obeyed {God's} teaching, they will be persuaded to believe. You will not need to say anything. They will be persuaded by the way their wives live. Your husbands will see the pure lives that you live with your respect {for God}. It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from inside you—the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. That beauty will never disappear. It is worth very much to God. —1 Peter 3:1-4 (ERV)