What Jesus Did! 'Fear Him' — Matthew 10:28-31

Thursday, May 8, 2025

[Jesus continued his warning and instructions to the apostles when he sent them out:] "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows — one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."
— Matthew 10:28-31 NLT

Key Thought

Don't fear people. The only thing they can take from us is our physical life. Instead, God will judge and he can take our eternal life from us. But then God has no desire to condemn. His desire is to redeem and save. Since he knows each sparrow and each hair on our heads, don't you know that he cares for us! So he is not going to let the Evil One snatch us from his love or grace. A persecutor can take our physical lives, but he cannot strip our relationship with God our Father from us! While persecutors and revilers might shake our confidence and hope momentarily, they cannot steal our faith from us. Our faith is in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom he raised from the dead! Since our lives are tied to Jesus, then our future is tied to the resurrected Lord as well!

Today's Prayer

Holy God, give me eyes to see what is important to do and a faithful heart to do it. I want you to be honored in my life. You alone are worthy of my commitment, my service, and my physical life. You alone can preserve my life for eternity. So in you I rest my hope and to you I commit my heart. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

8 Related Resources by Heartlight

The Art of Kindergarten Identity
Article by Amy Grant
How special are you and why? What will it take for us to realize our great value to God simply because he wants us to love him and be with him?
FUD
Article by Russ Lawson
These three lurk in the shadows seeking to derail us and do us in. Russ Lawson talks about fear, uncertainty, and doubt, or FUD, and how God's word and God speaks into each of these to give us life.
Multi-talented Mommy Ears
Article by Russ Lawson
Does he really care about all this mess? When bad things happen, we need to realize that God does see and care and will remember.
Our Brutal World
Article by Max Lucado
Life is a dangerous endeavor. We pass our days in the shadows of ominous realities. Max Lucado reminds us to be courageous in our times of trouble for we have put our faith in the one who has conquered.
See All 8 Related Resources about Matthew 10:28-31

Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 10:28-31 NLT — Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, May 8, 2025

Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Nothing Will Be Lost' (1 Co. 15:58)
"Dear Father, Thank you for the assurance that my work for you will never be lost. The Lord Jesus promised that even a cup of cold water given in his...."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'I Will Be with You!'
"Dear Disciple, My return to the Father after My crucifixion and resurrection was important for many reasons. However, for My apostles, the experience..."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'The Gift' (Ac. 2:38-39)
"And Peter said to [the crowd on Pentecost], "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will...."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Phillips Brooks:
"Christ is the Word of God. It is not in certain texts written in the New Testament, valuable as they are; it is not in certain words which Jesus spoke, vast as...."

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!