He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)
Thought: Isaiah 53 is considered as one of the most important chapters in the Bible since it points to our coming Savior and His sacrifice for us. The Holy Spirit not only so clearly paints the picture of the extent of Christ’s sacrifice for us but also shows us how Jesus was submitted to this process: He opened not His mouth. Today if we find ourselves in a situation that provokes us to retaliate with our words, let us remember how Jesus reacted when He stood before His accusers and those who hurt Him: “He opened not His mouth”. When we keep our emotions in check in these situations, we give God the opportunity to speak on our behalf and He will do it.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You for the example You gave us when it comes to situations when we are provoked; give us the grace we need to be careful with our words at these times. Father, in this situation I choose not to lean on my words and emotions to defend me, but I will lean on You to speak on my behalf and defend me. I thank You, Lord, that if You be for us, who can be against us? In Jesus’ name, amen.