Freely You Have Received

Matthew 10:7-10 And as you go, preach, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. There are 3 things that we can learn today from these few verses. First, there is the lesson of following God's instruction for our lives without worrying about the physical comforts. The disciples were commanded to to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons, all in the power of Jesus' name. Isn't that awesome?! How quickly we forget to minister to others as we consume ourselves in the minor details of life. Also, I realize that this must have been an exercise of their faith in God that He will provide for them. He said that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. There was a lot of work to do to spread the gospel, and there was no time to worry about the physical comforts of this world. Responding quickly to the command to go is simply a demonstration of faith that God will truly provide for your physical needs. Finally, there is the lesson to avoid being caught up in material things. Our world has quickly confused the difference between 'needs' and 'wants'. Matthew 6:30 says, "If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" Dear Friend, are you doing your part to spread the Gospel? The bible tells us that you have freely received, and you should freely give without worrying about the material things of this world. Won't you trust Him today to take care of all your needs, so you may better serve Him? Dave Henry