Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Matthew 10 and Psalm 10

There is so much in Matthew 10 to capture our imagination and our attention, but what I felt jumping off the pages at me today was the promise of v.19-20.

Jesus was very clear that despite the powerful anointing on their ministries, the apostles were bound to experience the same kind of persecution He experienced. They were virtually guaranteed that one day they would be hauled before the authorities and held to account for preaching the Gospel of Jesus. In the face of such future trouble, Jesus gave them this amazing promise:

¹⁹ When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. ²⁰ For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

This promise is not an excuse for preachers to skip their preparation. It is an assurance that when any believer is in a situation for which they are simply completely unprepared, the Holy Spirit will lead them … if they will ony make themselves available. He will guide their words and, in fact, He will speak through them. I sincerely believe this promise was not limited to the apostles. It is a promise to us today too.

Life Application: Hold onto that promise today. Determine in your heart that when you are unsure of what to say on the Lord’s behalf, you will ask the Holy Spirit to speak through you, and then be faithful in responding to His prompting, open your mouth, and release the words He gives you to speak.

You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
    you encourage them, and you listen to their cry (Psalm 10:17)