Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled, Heeding the Warnings, was written by Dave Brannon.

When a pickpocket tried to pill for my property while I was on vacation in another country, it wasn't a surprise.

I'd read the warnings about the danger of subway thieves, so I knew what to do to protect my

wallet, but I never expected it to happen. Fortunately, the young man who grabbed my wallet

had slippery fingers, so it fell to the floor where I could retrieve it.

But the incident reminded me that I should have heeded the warnings.

We don't like to dwell on warnings because we think they'll get in the way of enjoying life,

but it's imperative to pay attention to them.

For instance, Jesus gave us a clear warning while sending out his disciples

to proclaim God's coming kingdom in Matthew 10. He said, whoever acknowledges me before others,

I will also acknowledge before my father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others,

I will disown before my father in heaven. We have a choice.

In love, God provided a Savior and a plan for us to be in His presence for eternity.

But if we turn away from God and choose to reject his message of salvation and the real life

he offers for both now and forever, we lose out on the

opportunity to be with him. May we trust in Jesus, the one who chose to save us from being

eternally separated from the one who loves and made us.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Matthew chapter 10, verses 1 through 7, and verses 32 through 33.

Jesus called his 12 disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits

and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles.

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