Matthew 10:18-20
18 "You will be brought before governors and kings for My
sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when
they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it
will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for
it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."
Luke 12:11, 12
11 "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and
magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer,
or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you
in that very hour what you ought to say."
The
Holy Spirit does not simply prepare us for the trials and difficulties in our
lives – He is that
preparation. The Bible consistently teaches us the necessity of preparedness,
and we do not always have time to get ourselves ready, but we must already (and
always) be prepared. In other words, preparedness
is a state of being for the Christian. It is a mistake to think
God is using today just to prepare us for tomorrow, for Jesus says in Matthew
6:25-33,
25 "Therefore I say to you,
do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor
about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body
more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they
neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by
worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 So why do you
worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they
neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now
if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore
do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What
shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles
seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Yesterday
is gone and tomorrow is not promised to any of us, so today is of paramount
importance, and we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit right now! God is most pleased when
we are ready to hear and speak God’s Word today,
and the Holy Spirit will speak through in the moment of trial and glorify the
Lord no matter the circumstance. As God’s children, we can rightly judge our
maturity by the immediacy of our witness and how seamlessly the Lord is
glorified by our words when we are under duress. Therefore, we do not worry
about tomorrow and its troubles, nor do we wonder if we will stand or falter.
Our walk is a moment by moment adventure, and we can be sure the God who is
with us today will be with tomorrow! Remember Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Blessings and peace,
Pastor Eric
