1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by Matthew 10, verse 28, which says, 5 00:00:24,460 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: And do not fear those who kill the body, but 6 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,570 Speaker 1: cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear Him who can destroy 7 00:00:31,650 --> 00:00:44,510 Speaker 1: both soul and body in hell. During the era Jesus 8 00:00:44,550 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: was ministering in, as well as the centuries that came 9 00:00:47,130 --> 00:00:52,700 Speaker 1: immediately after, Christians were regularly threatened for their belief in Christ. 10 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: Some were threatened with the loss of their homes and jobs. 11 00:00:56,980 --> 00:01:01,460 Speaker 1: Some were threatened with punishment or imprisonment. Others were threatened 12 00:01:01,500 --> 00:01:05,690 Speaker 1: with death. Yet Jesus reminded his followers that we don't 13 00:01:05,770 --> 00:01:08,410 Speaker 1: need to fear those who only have the power to 14 00:01:08,470 --> 00:01:12,949 Speaker 1: kill the body. They cannot kill the soul. They cannot 15 00:01:13,010 --> 00:01:15,990 Speaker 1: take your eternal life from you. If we're going to 16 00:01:16,030 --> 00:01:19,580 Speaker 1: fear anyone, it should be God. But our fear of 17 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,580 Speaker 1: him should be the healthy reverence that shows we respect 18 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: his power. The truth is, we're of great value to 19 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:32,140 Speaker 1: the Lord. Sadly, we aren't as convinced of this as 20 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,180 Speaker 1: we should be. Isn't it ironic that we as Christians 21 00:01:36,540 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: can theologically acknowledge that God the Father sent God the 22 00:01:40,260 --> 00:01:43,980 Speaker 1: Son to this earth to die in our place, demonstrating 23 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: our great value to Him, yet we struggle to think 24 00:01:46,980 --> 00:01:50,340 Speaker 1: anything nice about ourselves when we look at our reflection 25 00:01:50,390 --> 00:01:54,550 Speaker 1: in the mirror? We can acknowledge our value to God theologically, 26 00:01:54,990 --> 00:01:58,390 Speaker 1: but we struggle to acknowledge our value to God emotionally. 27 00:01:59,310 --> 00:02:05,170 Speaker 1: That disconnect needs to be rectified. God sees us, notices 28 00:02:05,450 --> 00:02:11,049 Speaker 1: everything about us, loves us, and holds our lives securely 29 00:02:11,230 --> 00:02:21,310 Speaker 1: in His hands. Never minimize your value to God. Let's pray. Lord, 30 00:02:21,350 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: we thank You for Your Word. And we thank you 31 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:25,139 Speaker 1: for the privilege that it is to be able to 32 00:02:25,180 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: look at this portion of Scripture from the Gospel of 33 00:02:27,620 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: Matthew today. And Lord, it's helpful to be able to 34 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,940 Speaker 1: read the counsel that you've given to us in this passage. 35 00:02:34,620 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: We tend to be fearful people. We fear all kinds 36 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,959 Speaker 1: of circumstances and scenarios and the things that we imagine 37 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,020 Speaker 1: other people might do to us. But yet, in this 38 00:02:45,100 --> 00:02:48,019 Speaker 1: portion of Scripture, you tell us not to fear those 39 00:02:48,100 --> 00:02:51,380 Speaker 1: who kill the body because they cannot kill the soul. 40 00:02:52,380 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: You tell us that if we're going to have fear 41 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,980 Speaker 1: for someone, it should be a healthy fear that's directed 42 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,370 Speaker 1: toward you. You're the one who has the power to 43 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:05,290 Speaker 1: destroy both soul and body in hell. And we need 44 00:03:05,330 --> 00:03:09,530 Speaker 1: to acknowledge that power. But likewise, Lord, we're grateful for 45 00:03:09,570 --> 00:03:12,590 Speaker 1: the fact that it's not your desire to destroy us. 46 00:03:13,690 --> 00:03:17,530 Speaker 1: Your desire is to rescue us. Your desire is to 47 00:03:17,590 --> 00:03:20,900 Speaker 1: redeem us. But we know, Lord, that there are many 48 00:03:20,980 --> 00:03:23,780 Speaker 1: people in this world who, as of yet, have not 49 00:03:23,900 --> 00:03:28,700 Speaker 1: received the gift that you're offering. They continue to reject you. 50 00:03:29,419 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: They continue to ignore you. And that's tragic, because it 51 00:03:33,500 --> 00:03:36,780 Speaker 1: doesn't need to be that way. So, Lord, we pray 52 00:03:36,820 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: that we would live our lives free from fear, that 53 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: we would maintain a healthy reverence and respect toward you, 54 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:47,030 Speaker 1: but that we wouldn't go through life Fearful of what-if 55 00:03:47,130 --> 00:03:50,730 Speaker 1: scenarios and fearful about things that other people might someday 56 00:03:50,790 --> 00:03:54,940 Speaker 1: or in some context do to us. Because that's not healthy. 57 00:03:56,100 --> 00:03:59,020 Speaker 1: We don't want to have our minds occupied with such 58 00:03:59,180 --> 00:04:04,420 Speaker 1: unhealthy thoughts. Rather, we want to walk with you, rejoice 59 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,770 Speaker 1: in you, and demonstrate the faith that you've enabled us 60 00:04:07,810 --> 00:04:10,170 Speaker 1: to have in you so that others would catch a 61 00:04:10,230 --> 00:04:13,690 Speaker 1: glimpse of it and embrace it as well. We thank 62 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,900 Speaker 1: you for this reminder from your word today. And as 63 00:04:16,940 --> 00:04:19,500 Speaker 1: you empower us to do so, we pray that we 64 00:04:19,550 --> 00:04:21,670 Speaker 1: would live it out and apply it to our lives. 65 00:04:22,490 --> 00:04:26,339 Speaker 1: We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.