Reading your Bible for Today May 13

May 13: Luke 20:1-8

KJV Key Verse: Luke 20:4
4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

Devotion:
Sometimes I look at the words Jesus came out with and marvel at how He was able to ask or speak the right things to change people’s hearts. But then I think about the people around me and I also marvel at how they are able to say exactly the right things when needed for others to learn from. It may be that some are great scholars who have spent a long time studying the word; but most of the time it is the Holy Spirit working behind the scenes giving them the right words to hear.

Jesus was no different in this respect because He was always listening to God and obeying God; even though He is part of God, He continued to listen and obey when here on earth. God cannot disagree with Himself! Yet the people around Him tried to trip Him up by asking impossible questions or difficult questions. Jesus knew His time was not yet come to give Himself up to the cross, so He threw back the question to them in a different form knowing they too would not be able to answer.

Sometimes in our lives as we try to tell others about Jesus we may have to admit we do not know the answer and defer the question to another time. Don’t be afraid to tell people you do not know the answer yet. The Holy Spirit will give you the answer when the time is right for you to understand it, but it will probably not come as a huge announcement over the radio just for you! It may well be a quite word you hear or a yearning to go and read a section of scripture by yourself. Don’t turn away those small, quiet voices from God.

To change people’s hearts, Jesus opened up the bible to people and allowed them to find the truth. As His disciples, we need to continue doing the same, opening up the Word to those around us so they can be encouraged by the Holy Spirit to find the truth. The more people we can convince to listen to God through the Holy Spirit, the easier our task becomes in sharing the Gospel for Christ.

Points to Ponder:
Do you find it difficult to find the right words to say?

How much do you rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance?