Words from the Rock
Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.
Matthew 10:28 Message
In this verse, Jesus encourages you to take your rock-solid faith to an even deeper level. Instead of simply being free from fear, he challenges you to speak up for him while surrounded by nonbelievers. And not just those quiet, apathetic nonbelievers either. He’s talking about those antagonistic kind of nonbelievers, those bully types with an ax to grind.
Okay, that sounds a little intimidating, doesn’t it? Who would want to stumble into a satanic street meeting wearing a WWJD T-shirt? And, seriously, if God wasn’t the one prompting you to do this, you probably shouldn’t. But if you find yourself in a dicey situation and you sincerely believe God is nudging you to speak for him, you can do it with the bold confidence that he’s backing you. And as Jesus has pointed out, he will give you the words. Chances are, the outcome will be amazing—even if it doesn’t seem that way at the time—and you can be assured that God is up to something big.
But here’s the main point of this verse: Jesus is saying not to be afraid of someone who can physically hurt or even kill you, because doing that gives that person power over you, power that really doesn’t belong to them. The only one you should give that kind of power to is God—because he’s the ruler of the universe and has all power and authority, and he’s the one responsible for every important part of your life. In other words, you’re in good hands.
My Prayer
Dear God,
Help me not to be intimidated by anyone. Let me be assured that only you have real power over me. And remind me that you only want the best for me.
Amen.
Final Word
He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me.
Hebrews 10:30–31 Message
Stone for the Journey
Humans might try to bluff through intimidation, but God holds all the cards.