Judges Chapter 19: verse 30 (NLT)
Everyone who saw it said, “Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who’s going to speak up?”
Matthew Chapter 10: Verse 19 (NLT)
“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.”
The people of Israel were appalled at the attitude, behaviour and violence that had befallen one family, although it was prevalent throughout the land at the time, because people did as they pleased and there were no boundaries. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that “there is a time to be silent and a time to speak”. (Ecclesiastes 3:7) but sometimes we worry about what to say and how to say it. Jesus told His disciples not to worry about speaking up – even if they got arrested. God Himself would be with them. That has not changed. If we need to speak up for truth and against injustice, the Holy Spirit will also give us the right words to say, and the boldness to say perhaps what we would never have dreamed of saying, even if our knees are knocking! It’s not always someone else’s responsibility. If we are wondering “who will go?” perhaps God is saying, “Will you go?” And we need to be ready if He does!
Dear Lord,
Help me never assume that someone else will do what You want me to do. May I be ready and willing. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.