Beautiful Word Devotional #29

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

The word witness here in the Greek is martus, from which we get the word martyr. What’s powerful about this etymology is that when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, God gives you the ability to be a martyr for his sake.

In our everyday world, we are—by God’s grace—far removed from martyrdom. In fact, many of us can’t even fathom being killed for our faith in Jesus, yet fellow believers are dying at an alarming rate around the world. If you’ve ever thought, I could never die for my faith, realize that God will enable you to do anything he calls you to do. After all, his infinite power now dwells within you.

You may not face physical death for your faith, but you may face great opposition. Know that the Holy Spirit will enable you to stand up for what you believe, to be kind when you’d rather shout back, and to love your enemies.

Lord, thank you for empowering me to be strong in you today, amen.