Today Daily Devotional

[Jesus] appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. . . . He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

— Acts 1:3, 7-8

The book of Acts is not simply about the birth of the church or even the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, giving great power. Acts reveals the extension of Jesus’ work on earth, in which he uses not his human body but a different body made up of his followers—the church. That body, known today as the worldwide church of Christ, aims to live out and continue the ongoing work of Jesus as he grows his kingdom here on the earth.

Jesus hinted at this when he taught his disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). When Jesus met with his followers, gave proof of his resurrection, and spoke with them about the kingdom of God, he was helping them understand that he was creating not a new religion but a movement that would expand around the world through them.

Thankfully the Holy Spirit gave them understanding, and we are here today as part of his church. Christ is our head, and we are his body, serving God in this world as the heart, hands, and feet of the Lord Jesus, who promises full life for all who believe in him.

Jesus, thank you for wanting to use me as part of your work in this world. Help me to serve you as you draw others to yourself. Amen.

“‘Now get up and stand on your feet. . . . I am sending you to [the Gentiles] to open their eyes . . . so that they may receive forgiveness of sins. . . .’”

— Acts 26:16-18

Consider your own story of faith. One of the ways you can know the awe of God is through your story. Maybe you came to Jesus out of a life of poverty and pain. Maybe you think your story is less than exciting because you grew up in the church and have always been a part of it.

Whatever the case, you have a story to share because it’s really about God’s story happening through you. In all your struggles, celebrations, griefs, and joys, God has been telling his story of grace in and through you.

When given the opportunity, Paul shared his story. One of the main reasons a personal story is so powerful is that no one can argue against the way God has chosen to work in and through you. Think of moments when you had to trust God with a loved one who was sick, or when you were not sure how to pay a debt and God provided for you. Or maybe you thought your marriage was at the point of no return, but God brought it back.

People can debate theology and doctrine, but they cannot argue against the awesome work of God in and through a transformed life.

May we not lose sight of the power of whom we serve and that we are called to be his people. Let’s embrace and cele­brate the awe and wonder of God’s power each day.

God, undo me today! Soften my heart and bring me freedom so that I may see and know the wonder of who you are. Amen.

My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. . . .

— Acts 20:24

Have you thought about what can hold people back from a deep sense of awe?

We could answer that question in a general way by saying that sin is what keeps us from enjoying deep, full life with God. But have you also wondered about how subtle sin can be? Sometimes we don’t realize how much our sinful tendencies can deceive us.

For example, I’ve noticed one thing that has a strong hold on many, many people: individualism. If you live in the West, you know that this shows up in a phrase like “Do whatever makes you happy.” I’m all for being happy, but what happens when that is taken too far? We end up putting ourselves first in everything we do. One of the hardest addictions to recover from is the selfie life.

Paul taught that he counted his life as nothing in comparison to what he had gained by following Jesus. His deep sense of awe was grounded in setting aside his own plans, dreams, and desires so that he could devote himself to God’s greater purpose for his life.

Paul was not consumed with comfort or convenience, and he found contentment in fo­cus­ing on the life Jesus had in store for him.

The greatest battle we might face in developing faith can be in holding back from giving Jesus everything in our life.

Jesus, thank you for giving your whole life for us so that we can have life to the full. Forgive us for seeking a convenient, comfortable faith. Help us to live the life you have called us to. Amen.

Many of those who believed . . . openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly.

— Acts 19:18-19

Lisa is a person I know who came to faith in Jesus Christ from a New Age background. In her early days of following Jesus, she tried to mix many layers of the New Age movement in with her faith. It didn’t work. She would constantly be confused and lacking in her understanding of following Jesus. She finally found freedom when she rid herself of those mixed-in practices.

Jesus’ early followers knew that in order to fully surrender to him, they would need to get rid of everything that could distract from the work of the Spirit in their lives. In Ephesus, new believers who had practiced sorcery and witchcraft burned all of their scrolls in front of everyone.

People in many cultures attempt to mix other religious ideas and thoughts with faith in Christ, saying, “Really, what harm is there in that?”

It can also be tempting to mix the Christian faith with superstition or reading a daily horoscope for guidance. But if we do that, we fail to realize that we are not fully trusting in God and his Spirit to guide us and to provide us full life.

When we approach faith as a mixed bag, we water down the power of the good news of life.

Dear God, if anything in our lives misleads us from following you, help us to get rid of it. Guide us into real, full living each day, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

They took him . . . to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?”

— Acts 17:19

Something special happens when someone earns the right to share an insight or opinion. Sadly, some people don’t seem to understand that there are times when you have to earn the right before you can share your opinion.

In his visit to Athens, Paul was brilliant. As a follower of Christ, he had become distressed that the city of Athens was full of idols. And the Spirit gave Paul some insight into what was going on there. The city took pride in being a hotbed of ideas, and people engaged in the worship of all kinds of gods (represented by the idols). In fact, many people “spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.”

So Paul began to reason with people in the marketplace. He had taken time to listen to them, and they were intrigued by his new message about Jesus. They said they wanted to hear more, even though they didn’t fully understand what he was saying. In this way Paul earned the right to share about the one true God, and many people believed.

It can be easy to get mad at the world, to be frustrated with how things are swinging one way or the other—but getting angry and combative is not the answer. Paul walked into the midst of a confusion of ideas and earned the right to share about God by connecting with people and gaining a sense of what mattered to them.

God, help us to understand the world around us and to share who you are and what you have done for us all. Amen.

“God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted [the Gentiles] by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.”

— Acts 15:8

Tension was building as God continued to expand his kingdom. Reports were coming in that Gentiles were becoming believers in Christ, and then some leaders from Judea began teaching that people could not be saved in Christ unless they were circumcised according to the law of Moses.

Actually, those leaders had an “us and them” attitude about faith, and they wanted clear markers to show who was included and who was not. But God had other plans.

Thankfully, cooler minds prevailed, and the church’s leaders saw the truth that all believers are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and that circumcision is no longer required. Salvation into God’s kingdom is a matter of the heart.

As the work of the Spirit (by which every believer in Christ is sealed) produces fruit in us, we gradually take on the character and behavior of Christ. The Spirit works in us and changes our hearts. Having an outward mark does not change our hearts. Only the Spirit of God can do that.

The gospel cuts to the heart of who we are, and by his power at work inside of us the Lord makes something beautiful out of our lives.

God, thank you for the work you are doing in our hearts. May your love and grace overflow from within us to bring your goodness and fruitfulness into the lives of others. Amen.

They reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

— Acts 14:27

I once heard a speaker say that if your teenager is disconnected or uninterested in being part of the family, give them a better story to be a part of. If you have teenagers, that may be worth thinking about.

In this section we see Paul and Barnabas sharing stories of transformation. After returning to Antioch, they gathered the community of believers and “reported all that God had done through them.” In other words, they shared with passion and excitement the things that the Spirit of God was doing.

Part of having a deep sense of awe in our life with God is knowing that we are part of a better story. We might even say that continuing to tell the ­stories of God’s work will help to keep the mission going. After Jesus had sent his disciples out in pairs to spread the good news about him, he brought them together again and had them share stories of what had happened (Luke 10:1-24). Stories have the power to make our faith real, and they prompt us to live with our eyes open to see where God is working.

As we grow in faith, we begin to understand that we are part of a greater story that needs to be shared with others. And when we are down and discouraged, stories can help us regain our joy.

God, thank you for inviting me into your story. Help me to share with humility and boldness how you are working in my life and in the lives of others. Amen.

The Gentiles . . . were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

— Acts 13:48

When we go to a gathering where there’s a lot of good food, we often say, “That’s a great spread.” It points out that a great feast is spread across the table, and we look forward to enjoying it.

Acts records for us that Paul and Barnabas were spreading the good news of Jesus across a wide geographical area, and many people were experiencing the love and grace of Jesus. They were on a mission, from God, to spread the good news to the Gentiles, people of other nations beyond the Jewish people, and the Gentiles were receiving the good news with great joy.

The power of the good news of God’s love for us, given through the life and death of Jesus and his resurrection, cannot be contained. When Jesus rose from the dead and walked out of the tomb, he proved that as much as we think we can predict how God is going to work, we can’t. We can’t even assume how God will work, because when we do that, we limit our ability to see and participate in God’s work in our lives.

Paul and Barnabas understood that the good news was for all people, and many embraced the truth. Even when there was opposition, the disciples were filled with excitement as the word of God spread.

Father, expand our understanding of how you want to go beyond the limits we tend to set. Fill us with your Spirit and with joy as we learn to follow you. Amen.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said . . .

— Acts 13:2

There are subtle things written in Acts that we can easily miss while reading it quickly. I miss important details at times, and maybe that happens to you too. But then there are moments when the Spirit helps us see things that we never noticed before.

Note that in the church at Antioch the believers were worshiping and fasting, and that the Spirit revealed to them that Barnabas and Saul were called. Then, after this was revealed, the believers fasted and prayed and laid hands on the two before sending them off.

The word “they” is crucial in this passage. Prophets and teachers are identified, but the community of believers is mentioned too. There’s something powerful that happens when the community of faith is together.

If you are part of a church, you know that churches often try to model themselves after other churches. There is nothing wrong with learning from another church model, but it can then be easy to try to go in your own strength to make it happen.

This community was set on worshiping, fasting, and praying—and as they did so, the Spirit revealed an important mission. Notice too that they laid their hands on Barnabas and Saul. The Spirit-led community sent them off with a communal blessing to serve in the Lord’s unfolding plan for his kingdom.

Father, as we worship, pray, and fast, show us your mission for our lives. In your strength, we want to do what you call us to do. Amen.

They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

— Acts 12:22-23

Here Acts helps us again to stand in awe of God. King Herod had set himself up on his throne like a god. What he wore and what he said would have prompted the people to say that he was a god, not a man. And let’s not forget that they wanted something from him: peace and food.

Well, the king did not give due praise to God, so he was struck down and eaten by worms.

But let’s be careful not to pass judgment on King Herod so quickly. We may not have a throne to sit on or royal robes to wear. We may not even have one person following us. But sometimes we play God in our own lives.

Excessive worry is one way we do that. Worry is a signal that we are taking over God’s role of being God in our lives. It’s as though we hold tight to this thing as if we have control over it—but of course we do not.

As anyone who worries excessively can tell you, there is very little contentment and joy in living that way. When we try to sit on the throne of our lives, taking God’s rightful place and not opening ourselves to trust in him, we set ourselves up for trouble. Though we might not be struck down or eaten by worms, we can endanger our very souls. We need to stop playing God and let him guide us into full life.

God, you are better at running my life than I am. Help me to give you my life today. Amen.