Friday, June 17 – Matthew 10:19-20

But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who are speaking, but it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking in you.

This passage and so many others show how well God knows our weakness. Speaking to His disciples, Jesus gave this exhortation to prepare them for the difficult times ahead. He knew how easy it is for people to get caught up in various theoretical scenarios. He knew how these thoughts worked as distractions that could distract His disciples from the mission.

The same is true for us today. If you were handed over to the authorities because of your faith, it is likely that you would immediately have anxiety about what you should do or what you should say. But even as our nature has not changed, the nature of God has not changed either, He is alive in His followers. He is faithful to His servants. He is always working behind the scenes. In opposition, we can stand rooted in Him rather than our own opinions and walk in humility, asking Him to give us the words to say.

Opposition should not deter us from walking in obedience to God. That exchange will never be worth it in the end. Second Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” If you are a follower of Jesus, this Spirit lives in you. The Holy Spirit gives you power, love, and discipline. When we walk in obedience to God, His Spirit equips us to the end.

• What opposition have you personally encountered in your faith? How has God equipped you through it?
• How should the fact that God equips us change the way we react to difficulty?
• Pray and ask God to give you discernment and fill you with His Spirit as you face opposition for His sake.