What Jesus Did! 'Choices - Part 2' — Matthew 10:14-15

Friday, May 2, 2025

[Jesus continued his instructions to the apostles when he sent them out:] "If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day."
— Matthew 10:14-15 NLT

Key Thought

Matthew will constantly remind us that our decisions about Jesus and the lifestyle he calls us to embrace have eternal consequences. To reject Jesus' disciples and their message of the Good News is to bring judgment on ourselves. While this message is not popular today, it is still the truth. Jesus came to save us from judgment, but if we reject him, we have given up the basis of our hope.

Today's Prayer

Righteous and Almighty God, please forgive me when I have not told the lost about your love. Please help me past my discouragement when people won't heed your message of grace. Please forgive me for forgetting that the Good News is so necessary for salvation that to reject it is to reject hope. Please give me wisdom and passion to share that Good News story boldly and with gentleness and respect. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 10:14-15 NLT — "If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, May 2, 2025

Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
Proverbs 16:13
"Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'Prophetic Wonderings' (1 Pe. 1:10-11)
"This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what..."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Giver of Life, Grower of Grace' (1 Co. 3:8-9)
"Dear Father, growth-giving God, Both the planter and the waterer are equal and shall receive their wages according to their labor. But you give life!..."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Albert Einstein:
"The real problem is in the hearts and minds of men. It is not a problem of physics but of ethics. It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil....."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!