I’ll Speak for You

"But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
1 John 2:1 (ESV)

Sir John Clarke spent years deep in the Belgian Congo translating Scripture, and when he got to today’s verse, he hit a wall. He knew the word in Greek. He just could not find its equivalent in the language of the Mulonga people. The word was "advocate."

Then one day, he visits the king and watches an aide leave. The king tells Clarke this man's title is Nsenga Mukwashi, the person who represents the people. Clarke follows him.

At the edge of the village he finds a widow. Her husband has just died, and the moment he was gone, people moved in to take everything she has, including her home. She has no money, no standing, and no one to help her. She is completely alone and about to lose the only thing she has left. 

The Nsenga Mukwashi tells her he will take her case to the king. She pulls back. "Please," she says. "I'm old and poor. I wouldn't even know what to say." He looks at her like someone who has real authority. "You don't need to say anything. I'll speak for you."

Clarke closes his notebook. "I found my word."

You have a Nsenga Mukwashi. When you have failed and have no words, Jesus Christ the Righteous, stands before the Father on your behalf. He knows all you’ve done, all you haven’t done, and He advocates for you anyway. He will say what was said to that widow. “I'll speak for you.”

Prayer: Lord, thank You for standing in my place and standing up for me at all times. I often don't know what to say or how to say it. But You are my Advocate, so I don’t need to have the right words. Today I am showing up, and I am trusting You to do the rest. In Jesus' Name, Amen.