“But be on your guard; for they will hand you over to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. And when they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you at that time; for you are not the ones speaking, but it is the Holy Spirit.”
What makes you anxious? If we are attacked, called out, or put on the spot, we may feel prone to panic. It is hard to imagine a scenario where we could go through a situation like the one described in today’s passage free from worry. We spend most of our lives avoiding conflict and pain, so to embrace this type of moment without fear feels impossible. But if we trust the words of Jesus to be true, this passage gives us great hope.
We can trust that God will equip us; we can trust that He will give us the words to speak His message clearly and the peace to endure even the hardest opposition. If we trust this to be true on a large scale, then won’t the same God help us with a small moment when sharing our testimony with an unbeliever or inviting a neighbor to church? No matter the moment, we can trust that God will equip us to share His hope and walk with us even if we face backlash for our beliefs. The God who has called us to faith in Him will not leave us. He does not abandon us in trials but walks with us faithfully to the end.
- When have you struggled to share your faith with someone else? What makes you hesitant about this?
- How does this promise that the Spirit will give words to speak encourage you as you share your faith with others?
- Pray and thank God that He walks with you in every moment. Ask Him to give you the opportunity and boldness to share with others about Him.
