Shake Off the Dust #1772

8 “Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ 12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.” (Luke 10:8–12, NKJV)

Jesus sent out seventy disciples to places He was about to go (Lk. 10:1). They were to heal the sick and preach the kingdom of God (Lk. 9:60; 10:9). Some would receive them and their message, while others would not (Lk. 10:5-7). By explaining what to do and what to expect, Jesus also gave them a reason not to be discouraged when a city rejected the gospel of the kingdom. He taught them there is a point at which the messenger is relieved of responsibility and the hearer is held accountable. Shaking off the dust of the city was a symbolic gesture that testified against the city for rejecting the gospel. They, not the messengers, would be held accountable (Lk. 9:5; Acts 18:6). The gospel teacher is not innocent when the truth is not faithfully preached (Acts 20:26). Such a failure does not excuse the sinner (Ezek. 3:16-21). But, when truth is taught and it is refused, the full weight of accountability on Judgment Day will fall on those who refused to hear and obey God (Lk. 10:12).

Overcoming Grief through God’s Word #1764

My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word. (Psalm 119:25, NKJV)

The Bible addresses the problem of being overwhelmed by grief, sorrow, and depression. Psalm 119:25-32 is a passage that helps when our heart is “in the dust,” and when it “melts from heaviness” (Psa. 119:28). When grief seems unbearable, when there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, when anxieties immobilize us, God can revive (renew) our souls through His word. How is this possible? First, God’s word helps us trust in God’s way instead of in ourselves (Psa. 119:26). It produces faith and reveals priorities and goals upon which to focus, that help us maneuver life’s moments of doubt (Matt. 6:33-34). Second, as we mediate on it, God’s word helps us perceive His ways for our lives (Psa. 119:27). It teaches us what to concentrate our thinking upon so we can clear our minds of worldly clutter and concentrate on eternal things (Phil. 4:8). Third, rely on the strength of God’s word (Psa. 119:28). It is true, regardless of what others tell you. Its redemptive power can raise you out of sin’s despair to heavenly places (Rom. 1:16; Eph. 2:4-7). Fourth, instead of continuing to “cling to the dust,” deliberately choose “the way of truth” and cling to God’s testimonies (Psa. 119:30-31). Finally, stay the course (Psa. 119:32). Continue following God’s commands by faith, and your heart will be enlarged with His gracious blessings of salvation, hope, and eternal life (Psa. 119:32).

“For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” #1254

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return. (Genesis 3:19, NKJV)

Adam’s mortality would become evident as he labored to eat and to survive on this earth. Eventually, Adam would die (Genesis 5:5). God’s creative purpose was for human beings to forever dwell with Him in the close fellowship of holiness. But, Adam and Eve’s sin separated them from their fellowship with God (Genesis 3:22-23; Isaiah 59:2). And, so it is that our sins separate us from God, too (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Adam’s flesh was created from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). Because of sin’s intrusion into this world, back to the dust Adam’s body (along with those of all his descendants), would return (Ecclesiastes 12:7). But, God also gave Adam a spirit, made in His image, that continues to exist beyond the grave (Genesis 1:27; Ecclesiastes 12:7). God’s plan of redemption in His Son, Jesus Christ, redeems both the body and the spirit (John 11:23-26). The gospel of Christ is the good news of how God defeats sin and death, giving the redeemed eternal access to the tree of life in the garden of God – forever freed from sin and its curse of death (Revelation 22:1-5).