John 5:1-9 (NKJV)

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

Explanation:

Jesus asked the paralytic a question with a seemingly obvious answer. After all, who wouldn’t want to be healed after living with such an infirmity for thirty-eight years? The man’s response indicates he didn’t know that Jesus Christ could bring true healing; only that he couldn’t help himself and a man-made solution might provide the healing he desperately desired. But once he responded to Jesus’ offer, he experienced the full measure of divine intervention.

The lame man is a snapshot of the world we live in, his helpless state no different than anyone who has never encountered Jesus. In our nation alone, think about the untold billions we spend pursuing personal happiness and answers to what ails our society as a whole. From every tragedy this country witnesses with increased frequency to the breakdown of the family unit in our communities, Jesus knows our condition and He’s right here asking us, “Do you want to be made well?” The answer seems obvious, but we ignore His offer while lamenting the hopelessness of our future if we don’t find a solution soon. Until we, like the paralytic, admit our need for Jesus to intervene, all our efforts are in vain.

The lame man received his spiritual healing along with his physical healing (John 5: 14). One encounter with Jesus can change everything in our broken world.

Application:

1. What issues are you dealing with that you have yet to surrender to Jesus for His answers?

2. Do you know anyone who has never heard of the healing power of Jesus?

3. If you don’t help them encounter Jesus, who will?

Prayer:

Lord God, I’m giving You control over everything I’ve been trying to find answers to on my own. You are the Lord of my life, and Your wisdom and direction are what I need for the problems I’m facing today. Amen!

Exodus 14:10-14 (NLT)

As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Explanation:

We all bear a deep deficiency of mistrust in God.

It just takes different things to unveil it.

Of all the things we are called to trust God with, surely our future feels the most precarious. All the unknowns can paralyze our minds if we dwell on them. Because we live in a physical world with real components, the unrevealed, with all of its variables, can be daunting to leave in God’s hands.

The Israelites had longed and yearned for freedom, but when it came, and required them to…step into their future, they:

✔️ Panicked.

✔️ Started the blame-game with Moses.

✔️ Whipped out the sarcasm. “Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt?”

✔️ Accused Moses of “making” them leave.

✔️ Played “we told you so.”

✔️ Begged to stay slaves.

BUT MOSES!

He is the most skillful of leaders because He kept it simple, true, and forceful.

“The Lord Himself will fight for you.

Just stay calm.”

He didn’t cajole. He didn’t pity them. He didn’t baby them. He told them the truth about their reality. If they wanted to be free, they had to grasp Who was fighting for them, and they needed to “own” their reaction to His plan.

Response matters to God.

Things don’t change until reactions change.

They needed to knock it off with the drama, and get a collective focus and stand firm in the calmness of trusting God.

Calm spreads. It is felt, it changes the atmosphere, it clears the air, it stills the mind, and it allows for clarity.

When reality TV invaded our lives, and a person could walk away with a million dollars or a marriage partner for having back-stabbed and annihilated others the best, we began to be desensitized to drama. It was all hyped with promos sensationalizing “drama and over-reactions” as a winning life skill.

It is the opposite of what God wants.

Staying calm in stressful situations can be learned and practiced. When you become good at staying calm, you will open your ears to God's guidance, and this ultimately leads to a happy and peaceful life.

God highly values peace.

He needs us to stay calm even if the elements of our future feel slippery and wobbly. He is at work.

There is great value in stopping ourselves when we feel the onslaught of fear and doubt, and reminding ourselves that He has never let us down ever…and He never will.

Application:

1. Why does God need you to stay calm while He moves on your behalf?

2. Starve drama/feed peace. Why would this be a winning formula?

Prayer:

Father…I need renewal where it all starts: in my mind. Help me to feed my mind on “things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” (Philippians 4:8, MSG)

Empower me to make good choices in feeding my mind today. Amen.

2 Corinthians 1:18-20 (NKJV)

But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

Explanation:

Lately in my life, I have been doing a ton of planning. I am getting married very soon and, although I am absolutely elated, I have also been a bit annoyed at times. Sending out invites was fun. We have the seating arrangements planned and everything is working out very well, but my fiancé and I have been having trouble with RSVPs. Whether it is the mail not being delivered, or people just being wishy washy, I feel sometimes as though I could just throw my hands up in the air and say, "Could they be any less clear??!!"

People would say "Oh, we will totally be there," or "I don't think we can make it," only to call us back a few days later to explain why they are changing their decisions. I get it. You can't always see every pothole around every corner, and people have busy schedules and all, but my fiancé and I have had to redo the seating chart twice. Ugh…

When we read the scripture above concerning the promises that God has made to us, we can be confident in knowing that God is steadfast in His love for us. We can rest in the fact that God will not be wishy washy concerning His promises, and that we can trust in Him to answer us when we call upon Him in any circumstance we may face in our daily lives.

His answer is, "Yes, it is finished! I have uttered the word and it will not come back to Me void. Rest assured in this."

Application:

1. Take a deep breath. Find some time to meditate with God. Just be still for a moment and be thankful for your relationship with Him. Rest with Him knowing that no matter what is going on in your life, He is right there with you, He is for you, and when He says He will take care of you, He means it.

2. As you read the Word in your quiet time this week, write down any promises that you find God has made to us. I assure you, there are many.

Prayer:

God, as we go through life today, help us focus on You and on your faithfulness, and let us rest in the hope that You give us. We have blessed assurance that in You, we can find our peace, in You we can find our blessings, and in You we can find the answer to our prayers and needs. Help us to see the grace You have given us that we may give grace to others. Help us to be good stewards of our resources, and help us to become like Your son, Jesus Christ. Let us reflect Your image in our decisions and in our actions. Amen.

For Further Study:

Try to be like God in your decisions this week. Prayerfully consider each one and focus on trying not to be wishy washy. Do what you are going to say, whether it is to the kids, or to your friends or family. Be that reliable friend. Be that reliable dad or mom, brother or sister, son or daughter. Be present with your surroundings, and never take anyone for granted. God is reliable. Let's reflect His image.

2 Corinthians 6:4-10 (ESV)

But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

Explanation:

Whether you are a Christian or not, we can all agree on this one fact: life will bring trials and hardships for each one of us at some point. Sin entered the world many, many years ago through a couple not listening to God’s words in the garden. Since then, sin, satan, and ourselves have made life hard. Some of us have made it harder than it needs to be, and some have hardships because of other people’s mistakes. One thing is true for all of us, though, that God is here with us and in us.

So, you messed up, again. Guess what? God is still with you. Some of you would say, “No, I’m too far gone”, or “I’ve really messed up this time so God will not be with me.” I say you are so very WRONG. God doesn’t like what you are doing or how you are acting, but if you still believe and trust in Him. He is still with you. Hear me, though: you must repent and put your faith in Him. God will use your messes to redeem you. God will take your ashes and turn that into a life changing testimony. Remember God uses the broken to change the world.

Others reading this might feel you are doing good in God’s eyes. You are doing “the disciple’s check list”. Awesome, that’s great. Go you! This is your time to show and share Jesus with the world. I know what some of you are thinking, “But Josh, if we are Christians, shouldn’t we always feel like sharing Jesus with people?” I say, do you always feel like going to work? Do you always feel like buying the groceries? No, we don’t always feel like doing these things. So, right now, press into Jesus. Share Him with everyone. Help those that are low and depressed. Reach out to the lost and the ones that feel hopeless because, as I mentioned earlier, at some point we all will experience hardship.

If you haven’t noticed, I like to be relatable to all of you reading my devotionals. More often than not, I’m the lost soul. More often than not, I’m the one being negative. Often, I give good Christian advice but don’t always use that advice in my own life. Sometimes I show up to church with an awful look on my face, a bad attitude, and feeling sorry for myself. With all this being said, though, I do love me some Jesus. I love our church. I love my soft spoken, God-loving wife, I love my many God-fearing friends. Even after all this stuff I listed, you know what? God still pursues me and loves me, even through all the ups and downs that occur in my life.

Wherever you are, God loves you and He has the best for you. You just have to run to Him with great endurance, trust, love, and often patience. Put God first every morning, and every morning see what He can and will accomplish in your life!

Application:

1. Get in God’s presence first thing every morning this week.

2. Be thankful for all the blessings He has given you so far in your life: life, health, house, car, friends, family, church, anything…

3. Ask then and listen for God to show you how to honor Him better with your life.

Prayer:

God, thank You for today. Thank You for giving us another breath. Thank You for giving us our church. Show me where I need to improve to be the disciple You have called me to be. Show and help me to knock down walls in my life that are hindering me from getting closer to you and other God-loving Christians.

Psalm 37:1-6 (NKJV)

Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

And wither as the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.

He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

And your justice as the noonday.

Explanation:

Have you asked yourself lately, “Why does this have to be so hard? I’m trying to do a good thing here!” Often the more worthy the goal we’re trying to achieve, the harder it becomes to actually accomplish it. You make a resolution to finally lose weight and eat healthier, and suddenly a half sheet of leftover birthday cake ambushes you on your kitchen counter and someone decides to send you a chocolate bouquet. God convicts your heart to spend more time with Him, and everything and everyone around you starts conspiring to distract you the minute you sit down for your quiet time. Or God has given you a dream in your heart that you know is from Him…but it’s not the right season yet, and He asks you to wait, and wait, and wait some more. So often we are tempted to take the easy route like so many others do, to quit on our resolutions, forget trying so hard to focus on God, and just step out and make things happen…even without the blessing of God on it.

Last year, I found this passage gave me an exact formula for accomplishing all that I am waiting on in my life, so I’ve had it posted on our family room bookshelf for the past year. The words have become so comforting and dear to my heart, especially when the weight of waiting to see in the physical what God has spoken to my spirit gets tough. The psalmist commands us to place our trust in the Lord, and continue to do good. Whatever He has placed in my hands this day is all He expects of me, and as I bring goodness to the world around me today, He can be trusted with all that I couldn’t accomplish yet.

Next, “Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness”! The word “dwell” for me suggests living in the place you are right now, with contentedness, not always looking for the next season or the next thing. “Dwell” where you are now! He has strategically positioned you in the exact place you are, in the circumstances you are surrounded by…don’t always be looking for an escape. Instead, “feed on His faithfulness”! Allow who He is to satisfy your hunger, and fill yourself up on His character so you don’t look to other things for temporary gratification.

Lastly, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart”! Find delight in your relationship with Him! Don’t begrudge Him the time it takes to read your Bible, to communicate with Him, to sit with Him in worship. Not a second of it will be wasted! Similar to marriage, a relationship can’t grow without time spent together, and having joy in those times. When you allow yourself to take pleasure in His presence, your relationship can’t help but thrive, and He promises to give you the desires of your heart that are for your good, that you have been waiting for.

Application:

1. What are some things you are finding hard to achieve in this season?

2. Write down some “desires of your heart” that you’ve been waiting on.

3. How do you plan to accomplish #1 and #2? Write down ways you can obey Him with the following verbs: “Trust… dwell… feed… delight… commit…” Keep what you’ve written down to look back on next year at this time, and see all that God has done!

Prayer:

Lord God, it’s so tempting to want to take the easy way out, to always be looking to the next thing, to rush things before You’ve given them to us, or to make things happen as the world tells us to. Help us, God, to find our delight in You, to dwell with content in the land You’ve given us, and to continue to do good within each day that lays before us. Help us commit our ways to You, so that YOU can bring to pass all that is on our hearts to do. We know that whatever YOU do, it will be forever! In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen!

2 Corinthians 5:1-7 (NLT)

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee, he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing.

Explanation:

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is motivating those who already believe in Jesus to continue living a life of faith. Paul longs for his future resurrection body, which every believer will receive either when we die or when Jesus comes back for us. He describes our current bodies as tents. Tents are functional, though not permanent, and while they can stand up to some storms, they eventually give out in others. Paul doesn’t use this description to illustrate how terrible our lives are here on earth, but instead to contrast it with just how amazing our lives will be for eternity when we continue to live according to the promises of God.

But there is more great news! Our earthly bodies are still a wonderful gift in that they offer a temporary dwelling place where our spirits can be with God now, even though we have not yet received our heavenly bodies. These verses tell us that the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is our down payment for that future promise, and Paul encourages us to cling to all of God’s Promises even when they aren’t yet fully realized.

I’ve been home with a sick kid this week. Neither of us is at our best and both of us are wishing for restored health. But God wants us to sit in these “tent” moments with Him, acknowledging His Presence and Sovereignty over this world. As I prayed over my son’s fevering body, fear began to rise within me when I thought of all the things that could be wrong with him, but it was these Scriptures that gave me hope. Through the beautiful gift of His Spirit, God reminded me that I’m not in control, BUT HE IS. He made no specific promises in that moment save for the most important of all: He is here with us, which is the only promise we ever really need here on earth. And it is this belief (knowing something is true) coupled with trust (reliance on this belief) that results in the ongoing faith Paul points us toward. It is in this confidence that we can rest as we continue to live out our time in our earthly bodies. Your heavenly body will be crafted by God Himself, eternal and perfect in every way. Now that is a promise I can look forward to.

Application:

1. What are the ways (physically, mentally, emotionally) that your earthly body feels like a tent today? Does it change your outlook to know that God knows about your housing situation and wants to work through it with you? Does it give you hope to know your heavenly body awaits you, hand-built by the Master Himself?

2. Spend some unrushed, uninterrupted time allowing God to minister to your spirit today, which will inevitably overflow to your body, renewing both your strength and your faith in all that God is and does. We can use our past with Him to stay committed and confident for our future!

3. As “The Message” puts it: “It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going.” In a life-altering message for me many years ago, Pastor Matthew explained that God will either choose to heal us or choose to sustain us. Only when we truly trust His choice to sustain us will we then learn what it means to believe without seeing.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, thank You for Your promise to remain with us even when this life feels hard. You guide us from the temporary to the eternal, and we are so grateful we don’t transition alone. Help us to balance honoring our bodies by making them the most hospitable place for You to dwell this side of heaven, and give us faith to continue trusting when we think this life has let us down. Thank You for Your faithfulness day after day. We love You! Amen.

2 Corinthians 1:3-12 (NLT)

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.

Explanation:

Of all the things God gives us to steward, pain is in the top five, along with our heart, time, money, and mouth.

Pain in God’s hands is gold. Pain squandered is spiritual quicksand.

Talk to a saint who has endured suffering with God's help, and you will be conversing with someone who has a hope-sparkle in their heart and a vitality in their spirit. In fact, once those sufferings have passed, there can actually be a longing for that special time, because the season was so permeated with God's love and power. I have a friend, Cheri Wellington, who shared this exact sentiment with me when recalling the year her husband Jim was dying from cancer. She obviously did not want to relive his passing, but she longed for that extra intense connection one has with God when all depends on Him. When you are in delirious pain, your senses are heightened, you hear God’s voice clearer, see Him in the smallest things, and feel His presence in the most physical way. When all our earthly props are removed, there remains the right hand of God, upholding and embracing us in ways that are unimaginable. It stays with you for life and becomes your bedrock.

An outgrowth of those experiences is an increased ability to empathize with others in a spiritually healthy way. The way pain becomes gold in God’s hand is He uses it to school you in how to help others.

When people are in intense times of suffering, God’s will is still being done, and it is important not to interfere.

No one needs:

✔️For you to fix it.

✔️For you to silver line it.

✔️For you to minimize it.

✔️For you to “one up them” with your pain.

✔️For you to “at least it’s not”…

✔️For you to scripturize it for them.

They need comfort from God… and you… saturated in grace that produces listening ears, prayerful lips, and eyes that notice.

In this passage, Paul is talking about suffering in rather glowing terms because he knows the value of suffering successfully for Christ. I too have learned suffering's value, and I make it my daily goal not to unlearn what I learned.

May we all highly value our intense times, knowing God's will is being done. May we learn what He wants us to learn, all the while becoming better comforters in the process. That’s spiritual gold.

Application:

1. Being soft and strong is a winning combination that only comes from suffering. Why do you think suffering accomplishes that?

2. How can pain be wasted?

Prayer:

My prayer for all readers and listeners today:

If you are in the fire of loss… may you allow God to fill your void with His Holy Spirit in ways you thought impossible.

If you are in the sorrow of grief… may God soothe your lacerated heart and draw you close to His. It’s the warmest place for healing.

If you are in the agony of a toxic relationship… may you trust God to lead you out and away - HIS WAY - to freedom.

If you are gripped in fear and anxiety… may learning to fully trust and rely on God be your 2022 miracle. It is an abundant life.

Amen; so let it be!

Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV)

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Explanation:

This is a wonderful promise: perfect peace. God promises that we can have perfect peace, and even be kept in a place of perfect peace. Others can experience peace, but it is not the perfect peace that God offers. Peace that is not given by God is fleeting and imperfect. Have you ever experienced heartache? I have gone through some extremely painful heartache in my life, and through that pain I have experienced God’s perfect peace. The peace you can’t explain when people ask about it. The kind of peace that makes people who don’t know Jesus want to know about Him.

We can only experience this peace when our mind is focused on God. This is the home and source of perfect peace. When we keep our minds stayed (settled) upon the Lord Himself, then we can be kept in this perfect peace. It isn’t so much a matter of our spirit or our heart, but our mind. We are to love the LORD our God with all of our mind (Matthew 22:37). We are transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). We can have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16, Philippians 2:5). We are not to set our mind on earthly things (Philippians 3:19), but to set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:2).

I have a hard time focusing, period. It can be a daily struggle with me. My brain is constantly jumping from one thing to another, and I have a hard time focusing and completing one task at a time. I must be very purposed to stay focused on one thing. Maybe some of you can relate to this? I sometimes struggle to focus my mind on God and to stay there. This verse says God keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is STAYED on Him. I do a pretty good job at spending time praying and doing my devotions, but to keep my mind STAYED on God can be tough. I get distracted easily, and my focus can quickly go from God to anxiety, doubt, fear, worry. Here’s the thing though, friends…God knows this about us. He knows that we are imperfect and we get distracted by this world. He is just asking us to align our focus back on Him when we get off track, and He will be our everlasting rock.

Application:

1. Have you ever experienced God’s perfect peace in your life?

2. Do you find it hard to stay focused on God? What can you implement in your life to help you to stay focused on Him? (Structured daily worship time, daily prayer time, Christian friendships, etc.)

3. Spend some time looking back on your life as a Christian, and spend some time journaling about the different times when God has given you His perfect peace through hardship. If you need His peace right now, spend some time praying and asking for His perfect peace.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You so much for wanting to give us this amazing gift of perfect peace. I pray that You help us to keep our minds focused on You, and You alone. When we get distracted by the things of this world, help us to get back on track. Amen.

For Further Study:

Here are a few songs that I really love; they’re about God’s perfect peace through heartache. Take some time worshipping God.

Tremble: Mosaic MSC

Lean Back: Maverick City Music

Your Nature: Kari Jobe

Psalm 46:1-3 (ESV)

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

Explanation:

Psalm 46 is a Psalm about having confidence in the protection and power of God the Father. Many of the other Psalms begin with a description of some sort of crisis, yet this one begins with the declaration of God’s provision. In this scripture we are encouraged to find our hope, provision, and comfort in God even in the midst of things that seem uncontrollable.

In this section it starts by simply saying, “God is our refuge and strength”, giving God the descriptions as our shelter and safe place, as well as the strength we need. He is not only our safe place, but He is very present in the midst of our needs. The Psalm goes on to say that we will not fear or tremble when the things around us are overwhelming, because our strength and safety are found in the Lord and we can trust Him. In a similar sense to the first message of this new series, sometimes our “it” is greater than us, but God is always greater than “it,” and this passage perfectly exemplifies this.

Application:

1. It can be difficult for us in rough seasons to feel like we are not alone. Why is it important to know that God is “a very present help in trouble”?

2. Is it easy for you to lean upon God as your refuge and strength? If not, how can you grow in this and begin to trust Him more?

3. What are the areas in your life that you need a sense of refuge and strength not of your own?

Prayer:

God, thank You for loving us and for being a present God who is not only near in the good seasons, but who is just as present in the challenging ones. Thank You for being our safety and our strength when it is difficult for us to feel these on our own. We ask that You would move supernaturally in our lives in this season, that You would be with us through the challenges, and continue to help us grow to be more like You. Lord, we love You and we praise You, and it’s in Your name we pray, Amen.

Acts 5:17-29, 32 (NASB)

But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and leading them out, he said, “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple area the whole message of this Life.” Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple area about daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, that is, all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison for them to be brought. But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported, saying, “We found the prison locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this. But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple area and teaching the people!” Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the Council. The high priest interrogated them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this Man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Explanation:

Following Jesus often takes courage, and in many ways, it is a call to swim against the grain of popular thought. The life Jesus lived was pure and unadulterated goodness amid darkness, corruption, chaos, and evil. Like a dazzling diamond of truth in a pile of mud, He and His way of living stood out and offended some. The message of Jesus and His way of connecting everyone to God was threatening to the leaders of a religious system who were accustomed to their ways, and comfortable in their lives of power and influence. They were threatened by Him and they killed him. So, when the disciples stand in the temple, worship Jesus, and proclaim Him as the living Lord, Savior, Messiah, and God, it ruffles feathers. It offends, and they have to make a choice of what they know to be true, right, and good…versus the comfort of the status quo.

But Jesus and the disciples did not offend simply to be offensive. They were not characterized by their hatred for the outsider or their truth bludgeoning. No, what offended so many was their invitation for all to be able to come to God and be forgiven and healed. They were willing to care for those who society rejected, including Jesus himself. They were offensive because they were called to love even their enemies in the face of their own persecution. This was not the way the world operated, but this was the way Jesus showed His disciples to live. And when He went to the cross and died, then ate and drank with them again after coming back to life, it did something to them. Through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, they became unwavering in their conviction that their friend was the risen and living Lord, God, and Hope for all mankind. His way of doing life was the true way of living. There was nothing anyone could say or do that would make them think otherwise, or make them stop telling the story of how Jesus loved even sinners like them, saving and changing their lives. This was the message they so boldly proclaimed.

It is the message we still declare, with all courage, love, and truth in our hearts. We still live in a dark and chaotic world…and Jesus’s love and truth are still offensive to those who would find hope in the value systems of power, comfort, pleasure, and greed. Will we be so bold as to ask the Spirit for the conviction, courage, and love we need to be His witnesses today?

Application:

1. Jesus’s truth confronts our own ways of thinking, often long before He calls us to confront others. Is God challenging a value, a way of thinking, a behavior in you today?

2. The term martyr means witness. Is there something God is asking you to do, but you’re afraid it will cost something?

3. None of us are superheroes; we all require help from the Holy Spirit to live bold lives of witness. Take some time and begin to ask the Spirit to embolden your love for others, and to show you what He wants you to do about it.

Prayer:

Jesus, You are the truth and the life. You are also the perfect revelation of who the Father is in His values and His ways. So when we look at You, we can know how to find life. Help us not just to hold onto the conviction that You have forgiven us, but You are also transforming and empowering us to live the way You lived. Help me do that today. I need Your Holy Spirit to fill me and change me, so I can faithfully live this out in my life and community. Amen.