DAILY GUIDE DEVOTIONAL: "Consider their threats and stretch forth thy hand O lord

Text: Acts 4:23-31

Today's devotional follows  from what transpired in yesterday's lesson. Peter and John had just miraculously healed a lame man at the beautiful gate. The leading Sanhedrin who eliminated Jesus, could find no way to deny the power of Jesus which actualized the miracle. They furiously warned Peter and John to desist from using Jesus' name and attributing powers to him. But to their chagrin, Peter and John were not cowed. Instead they responded boldly that they would rather do what God demands than what they are asking. 

This morning we see the behaviour of these foremost disciples. We will do well to carefully observe their response to the threats and imbibe it into our own walk of faith. In verse 23, they went to their own companions and reported. When they heard, they raised up their voice to God with one accord. They prayed for boldness to preach the gospel. They prayed for signs and wonders to be done through the name of Jesus; and afterwards, they received answers and were filled with the holy spirit.This lesson gives us a glimpse into the heart and desires of the apostles. They did not care about their lives even in the face of opposition and threats. They had sold themselves out so much to God and his course that like Esther, they could boldly say, if I perish, I perish. 

As the present day disciples of  Jesus what is our disposition towards the dissemination of the word  of God. Do we even see it s a duty? The churches we attend today have made preaching the word of God a mundane and an obscure task. It has become old fashioned. So we only go to churches these days to pray for breakthroughs in our family lives and businesses. We are serving God today just for the material blessings he will give to us. One begins to wonder if there is any real joy in serving God just for material benefits. 

The real joy of serving God comes when we take up the mandate of Jesus to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. Real miracles happen only when we are in this business of soul winning. Peter and John were threatened by the same powers that crucified their master, so they knew very well that the threat was real, yet they would stick out their necks. Here we are, nobody is threatening us but we are way too complacent to take up the mandate of Jesus. How can you call yourself a disciple if you are not faithfully engaging in spreading the kingdom message. 

This message is not for unbelievers it is for you a disciple of Christ. Until when will you wake up and begin to tell the world about Jesus' saving power? Until when will your character change the world around you for Christ. The Kingdom of of God is not food and drink. Our world is increasingly immersed in evil. We are called to be the lights and the salt of preservation. Are you fulfilling these roles? Search your heart. Know from where you have fallen and repent. Today is an opportune time to do the needful, tomorrow may be too late.