REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was first posted on February 16, 2016. A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Seeking God’s Help When Feeling Nervous”
Acts 4:5-13
On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
When I was in middle school, I had to give a presentation in one of my classes—this was so frightening to me. Never before had I stood before a group of people to give a talk for more than a few seconds. Extremely nervous, I gave my presentation, but unable to really think about what I was saying. Afterwards, I remember my teacher asking me if I even breathed once during my presentation; apparently, I was so nervous that I could not even breathe!
In this passage, Peter gave a “presentation” to the Jewish rulers. He had to give a testimony before the council concerning the ministry he had been doing. Peter might have been quite nervous, not sure what to say, worried about whether he could be clear, or if he would be persuasive. Perhaps, he, too, was so nervous that he could not even breathe!
But notice what the Bible says: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them….” Because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter was able to talk before the council. Interestingly enough, the Greek word for spirit is also used for breath, so you could say that the Holy Spirit was Peter’s breath in that moment. While Peter may have been so nervous he could barely breathe, the Holy Spirit became his breath, giving him the words to speak.
Do you ever worry about sharing your faith and testifying about Jesus to others, whether to an individual or a group of people? Do not worry because the Holy Spirit will be your breath, and He will be your thoughts, giving you the words to speak. Though your physical breath may be lost in the moment, trust that your spiritual breath will continue to flow. Remember the words of that old song, “This is the air I breathe.” That is the Holy Spirit. He is the air you breathe and you will never be breathless.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your Spirit! We would be lost without Your Spirit, but thank You that You have given us Your Spirit to dwell in us always. May we remember the power of Your Spirit, and that You are the one working in and through us. Have Your way, Lord! Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Numbers 2
Lunch Break Study
Read Luke 12:11-12: And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.
Questions to Consider
- Why shouldn’t we be anxious when we need to defend our faith?
- How do we let the Spirit speak through us?
- Are there any situations in your own life where you need the Spirit to speak through you?
Notes
- We should be anxious if it were all up to us, but praise God that He gives us His Spirit to speak through us! So we need not be anxious when defending our faith, because the Spirit will speak through us.
- Unfortunately, there is no formula to this. Allowing the Spirit to speak through us is a matter of faith and trust – trusting that God is the One working through you. When our confidence is in ourselves, then we will have a difficult time hearing the Spirit, but when our confidence is in God, He will speak powerfully through us.
- Apply this to your life. Perhaps you want to share the gospel with a friend, but you are worried about it. Trust that God will speak through you in that moment. His Spirit is in you!
Evening Reflection
Tonight, take time to invite the Spirit to fill you. We need to be constantly filled by the Spirit, so pray that God will fill you once again so that in the hour of trial, He will take control of you and give you words to speak.