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Over the last week, I’ve been thinking a lot about what the “dust” we are supposed to “shake off” can mean. How can we apply this in our lives? After studying Luke 9, I decided to go back to the beginning when God the Father used something as ugly as dust and turned it into life.
Genesis 2:7
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
It wasn’t only dust that God used to make man into a living being. It was the amazing gift of His breath. The living God actually breathed life into Adam. It is astounding for me to try and comprehend the actual breath of God.
After the sin of Adam and Eve, the ugliness of dust was confirmed.
Genesis 3:14
So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.
A few verses later God speaks to Adam…
Genesis 3:19
“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.”
The good news is that regardless of the curse, the Father sent Christ to redeem us. He loved us enough to send grace and mercy in human form. His only Son suffered and died to pay for every sin we would ever commit. And that breath of life God breathed into Adam became the same breath He would breathe into us through the precious blood of Jesus.
Though we will eventually face physical death and our bodies will no doubt turn to dust, our souls can fly home because of the sacrifice of our Savior.
When Jesus talked about shaking the dust, He meant it in the context of those who wouldn’t receive the disciples in His name. However, I have been pondering “dust” in the context of a metaphor for sin. The other night at Bible study, I asked the ladies these three questions. I thought I would share them with you also.
- What “dust” holds you back from freedom in Christ?
- Why is it so hard to shake that “dust?”
- What do you think you can do to shake it from your life once and for all?
This is some food for thought. I’ve been making these same evaluations in my own life. It is important for me to rid myself of anything that may be holding me back in my relationship with my Lord. I want to live fully in the breath He gave me. I desire to inhale His beauty and exhale His praise.
I’m placing my hope in the Lord, and I’m shaking any dusty sin from my life to move forward in freedom!
Have you considered “shaking the dust?”
