What’s the assignment today?
That’s a question I’ve been thinking about, because when Jesus first called His disciples, the assignment was simple: “Follow me.” That was enough to change the direction of their lives. They left what they knew, walked with Jesus, listened to Him, learned from Him, and watched Him do what only He could do.
But then in Luke 9, Jesus gave them another assignment.
"When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt."
—Luke 9:1-3
He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God, heal the sick, and cast out demons. And this time, He was not physically walking right beside them the way He had been before. They were being sent.
On top of that, Jesus told them not to take anything for the journey. No staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. In other words, don’t take all the things you would normally count on for provision or protection.
I can imagine hearing that and thinking, “How is this going to work?”
Maybe you’ve felt that way before too. You sense God asking you to do something, say something, serve somewhere, forgive someone, encourage someone, or take a step of faith, and your first thought is, “Lord, I don’t know if I have what I need for this.”
But the disciples did have what they needed. They had the word of Jesus, and they had the power He gave them.
And that’s what I need to remember today.