Tag: Faith

Give me boldness

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HIGHLIGHT

Acts 4:29 (ESV): 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

EXPLAIN

The healing of the man lame from birth who begged outside the Temple caused a great stir. Many people came together and Peter and John recognized the opportunity to share the Good News.

The Sanhedrin heard of this and we’re greatly annoyed. They arrested them and put them in prison. On the next day, they put them on trial and asked by what authority they were healing people.

Peter responded by proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah, that through him only we can receive salvation. The Sanhedrin were astonished, recognized that these were uneducated men, yet spoke with wisdom and authority.

They threatened the apostles not to speak in Jesus’ name any more and then sent them away. Afterwards, the apostles gathered all the church to pray. These words are part of their prayer.

After they prayed, the place was shaken, they were filled anew with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

APPLY

In various ways, people today will threaten and discourage us from living for Jesus and proclaiming him to be the only way of salvation.

We should respond by imitating the apostles’ example: pray, acknowledge God’s sovereignty, ask for Holy Spirit boldness, and continue to live and speak faithfully for Christ.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, you are God and you are in control. You see those who would oppose your will. May your kingdom come and your will be done. Help me to live faithfully, a pure and holy life before you. May I proclaim your truth boldly, for your glory. Amen.

Fix your eyes on Jesus

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Acts 3:5 (ESV): 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

EXPLAIN

This story occurred a few days or weeks after the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the believers. In other words, Peter and John saw this man somewhere between 2-3 months after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Yet Luke writes that this man was lame from birth and had been carried daily to the gate of the temple to beg. We must assume that this man had seen Jesus, or at least been in very close proximity to Jesus, before Jesus’ death.

But this man was not healed by Jesus.

Now, as this man fixed his attention and expectation upon Peter and John, ready to receive from them, the disciples shared the good news that Jesus came to bring healing – physical and spiritual.

And he was healed as he looked and reached up in faith.

APPLY

We may not understand why the lame man was not healed by Jesus, even though we read of other instances which indicate that not everyone was healed by the Master.

The lack of faith in Nazareth prevented Jesus from doing many miracles. At the pool of Siloam, Jesus walked through the midst of many seeking healing to speak to one man.

What we definitely see is that this man’s expectant faith was met by the compassionate heart of Christ. Do we fix our eyes on Jesus, expecting to receive good from him?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, may I not miss your presence in my life, passing me by, busy with seeking what I need, preoccupied with my plans. Rather, may I fix my eyes on Jesus, ready to receive your grace. Amen.

When the war drums sound

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HIGHLIGHT

2 Chronicles 14:1 (ESV): 1 Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years.

2 Chronicles 15:19 (ESV): 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

EXPLAIN

The beginning of my reading for today which begins the recounting of Asa’s reign notes that God gave him peace.

At one point during Asa’s reign, Zerah the Ethiopian attacked him with a million man army and 300 chariots, but Asa depended on God and God gave Judah a glorious victory.

My reading ends with the statement that there was no more war until Asa’s 35th year. The next chapter details a disastrous decision by the king.

When Judah was threatened Israel, Asa made a covenant with Syria. Israel had to withdraw and Asa gained victory, but at the expense of God’s blessing.

God chastened Asa because he trusted in man’s help instead of seeking God’s help. The rest of Asa’s life and reign was lived without seeking God’s help.

APPLY

The two chapters I read today seem to anticipate the disastrous decision of Asa in tomorrow’s reading. Asa prospered and served God wholeheartedly… for a while… before the war drums sounded again. But then his fears overcame his faith.

The question for us is… do we have a faith that will remain true when the “war drums” sound in our lives? We may be serving God well now while everything seems to be going “okay”, but how will we respond when all that we have worked and struggled for is threatened?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, strengthen my faith. Help me to live faithfully for you in times of ease and times of distress. May I honor your name by my response to trouble. Amen.

What will Christ find when he comes to you?

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HIGHLIGHT

Luke 18:8 (ESV): 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

EXPLAIN

Luke preceded the parable of the persistent widow with the explanation that Jesus told this parable so that the disciples might always pray and not lose heart.

This story is about an unjust judge and a widow who kept going before him with her case that he finally relented and gave her justice.

Jesus’ conclusion was that God would much more readily give his elect justice, and not delay. The key question is: will Jesus find his people with faith – faithfulness – when he comes to answer their request?

APPLY

God is faithful, honorable, just, and loving. Therefore, we should not fear nor doubt in praying for our needs and for his intervention in our lives. Rather, we must strive to keep faith – to continue to trust and to live faithfully – while we wait for his answer.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me to be faithful as I wait for you to answer my prayers. May I trust you implicitly and completely. And I will praise you when you come in response to my needs. Amen.