Matthew 10:20 Jesus summons His 12 disciples, giving them power and authority over unclean spirits to cure diseases and all kinds of weakness and infirmity. They were to go to the lost sheep of Israel, preaching the kingdom of heaven is at hand. They were to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons… And rely on God‘s provision. Jesus warned these men to be on guard against men whose nature is to act in opposition to God. They weren’t to be anxious about what to say in their defense…because in that very hour, at that very moment, it would be the Spirit of the Father speaking through them. That same power lives and moves in us, filling us… overflowing from us. It hasn’t diminished or weakened over time, the only thing that’s changed is the ‘who’. Fast forward to today, we’ve received the same power, the same instruction, the same message, the same warning about those in opposition to the message of His Kingdom…the only thing that’s changed for us is there are no boundaries around ‘who’ needs to hear it. Jesus tells us we don’t need to rehearse or memorize our responses, but encourages us to let the Holy Spirit speak through us. It becomes the difference between whose message we’re delivering. The message coming from Him, hits its mark every time. How many times have we prayed that He uses us for His Glory or stood back, amazed at the words of our mouth, knowing they weren’t our words… but those of the One Who lives in us? He commands us to speak the truth and warns us some folks won’t like the message. He addresses the anxiety we’ll feel even before it comes upon us. The anxiety doesn’t stop us. Instead, in His glory, we’re strengthened,emboldened, courageous and brave knowing He’s got us. The time, the place, the message, the audience, and even the opposition is all known to God. By Faith, we step out knowing He’s already there, in that moment. Lord, help us to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit… letting You speak through us.
