Date: Sunday, 3rd August, 2025
Text: Matthew 10:16
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
The dove is not the Holy Spirit in the actual form, but a symbol used to help us understand the nature of the invisible, divine presence of God’s Spirit.
At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him “like a dove,” marking the beginning of His public ministry. This imagery links the Holy Spirit with peace, purity, and divine approval.
In the story of Noah -Genesis 8:11, a dove returns with an olive branch, signaling the end of God’s judgment and the restoration of peace. Doves are seen as gentle and pure creatures, representing the holy and sinless nature of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended “like a dove”– not violent or forceful, but peaceful and deliberate, suggesting the gentle work of the Spirit in the believer’s life.
The scripture “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” comes from Matthew 10:16, where Jesus gives instructions to His disciples as He sends them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God, saying, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”– Matthew 10:16
Wisdom without harmlessness can lead to fraud and manipulation. Harmlessness without wisdom can lead to vulnerability or foolishness.
Jesus is calling for a mature combination: to be morally pure and ethically upright, but also shrewd and strategic in a dangerous world. He is telling us to be prudent, alert, and careful—not naïve—especially when facing opposition. Tact is the ability to make a point without necessarily creating enemies. He wants us to balance truthfulness with tact.
Prophetic Nugget: Receive the grace to balance truthfulness with tact in Jesus name.
Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 1-3