Luke 21: 10 Then he
said to them: ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes,
famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs
from heaven.
12 ‘But before all this, they will seize you and
persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and
you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.13 And
so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up
your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For
I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to
resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even
by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some
of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because
of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish.19 Stand
firm, and you will win life.
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“Let’s just have a discussion” the newscaster said to me in
an effort to calm me down. She may have sensed that I was nervous so she randomly
asked me questions before the show began. Fortunately for me, they recorded the
practice discussion because I was relaxed. The answers seemed natural.
- Sometimes when I practice what I am going to say, I get nervous.
- Sometimes when I build up my answer in my mind, I get anxious.
- Sometimes when I play things over and over in my mind, I forget to live within the moment.
JESUS stirs many emotions when HE discuss the problems HIS followers
would face. HE discusses huge, GOD sized problems that mere humans would face.
Then HE says something strange. “Make up your minds not to worry beforehand”
were HIS words of affirmation.
- GOD says to me “I will give you words of wisdom.”
- GOD says to me “I will protect you and not a hair on your head will perish.”
- GOD says to me “Stand firm and you will win life.”
“Relax and stop thinking about what you will say to your
adversaries” is the gist of what GOD is telling me. HE knows humans are
competitive and combative towards one another, especially towards those who
believe in JESUS.
GOD wants me to drop my worries about what I will say to
defend myself and rely on HIS power to give me the right words at the right
time. HE is my sole protector (S O L E) and my soul protector (S O U L).
- Are you worried about something?
- Do you want an outcome to happen but are worried about it?
- Can you give your worries to GOD and allow HIM to give you words of peace rather than practicing what you will say to “that” person?
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