Dusty Feet

Ironically, on this day, I was actually able to shake the dust off of my feet. The rainy season is at its tail end, and the hot sun now beats down on the currently dry, dusty road. Because our team has finished all the available work for the 4 Habitat for Humanity houses, we are back to our first job, making hollow blocks. Because we now know what we are doing, I split the team into 2. Half working the bricks, and the other doing house to house with our translator Jai.

House to house is as simple as this - walking down the dirt street, asking anyone if they have time to hear the good news of the Bible. The responses vary greatly. Sometimes we are immediately invited in, and the Word is received, and they become brothers and sisters in Christ. Others will listen, but with every word going in one ear and out the other. The most frustrating is when a person is sitting outside, doing nothing, but says in Cebuano "I'm busy working." I wonder the multitude of excuses Jesus' disciples faced when he sent them out.

When Jesus sent out his disciples, part of the charge he gave them was this: "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town." - Matthew 10:14-15. These words rang true as we continued to walk down the street, being denied and rejected from place to place. But God did provide us with a household who was willing to listen to the good news! We will have opportunity to have another Bible Study in the house of Norma!

Jesus wasn't kidding. The passage about shaking the dust off your feet...It became reality today. What is even scarier is the reality of God's punishment upon their sin. Those who died without Christ spend eternity without Him. Jesus knew may would reject the gospel. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that lead to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only few find it.: - Matthew 7:13-14. First, may we examine our life to see if we are on the narrow road which only few find. Second, we must be faithful in sharing the message to those on the broad road, never stopping, but continually sowing seeds. And where we are rejected, shake the very dust off our feet.