October 8 I Saturday

Isaiah 30-31

Philippians 4

“Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.”    

—Matthew 10:11

Before we step into mission, we must begin with prayer, praying to the Lord of the harvest. Then, we can discern whether we are called to go through worship and prayer. As we follow God’s call for us, He will equip us to do the work. But there is another principle that we need to embrace when we step onto the mission field. Jesus tells us, “Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you” (Matthew 10:11-13).

       Jesus was telling His disciples to search for some worthy person in each town that they went to. It is important to make connections as we step into the mission field, finding the person of peace, who is a gatekeeper, someone who opens the doors of that region. We see this principle in the life of the Apostle Paul. When he entered Corinth, he was coming off some intense persecution. He was pretty beaten in his missionary work prior to entering into Corinth. As encouragement to Paul, Acts 18:9-10 tells us, “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’” What God was saying to Paul is, “I have been at work long before you walked into Corinth. I have been touching people’s lives. I simply need you to open your mouth and testify, and when they hear the words, the Spirit is going to be at work bringing in the harvest. All you have to do is testify to who I am.” As a result, “Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the Word of God” (Acts 18:11).

       When I worked at Urban Promise, we embodied this principle. Whenever we entered into a new region or a new community, we would constantly look to make connections with the people of peace in a community. Sometimes it came in the form of a community member or moms in the neighbourhood, who would embrace the message and then start to mobilize the community towards the gospel.

       Long before we step on the mission field, God has already been at work making Himself known. May we go confidently, knowing that the Lord of the harvest is already doing a work in the lives that we will encounter.

Prayer: Dear Lord, You are the One touching people’s lives. Thank You for giving me the privilege of taking part in Your harvest. Praise You!