Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13
Lord Jesus, this simple story confronts, convicts, and corrals our wandering hearts this morning. Two unschooled, ordinary fishermen, Peter and John, were radically freed, “lit up,” and loving because they “had been with Jesus.” With you, the same Lord who lives in our hearts, rules all over things, and is pursing us today.
Doing noble things for you is not the same thing as spending life-giving time with you, Jesus. Thinking great thoughts about you is not the same thing as vital communion with you. Helping others understand the Gospel is not the same thing as drinking presently and deeply from the wellspring of grace for ourselves.
In our most Gospel-sane moments, we really believe we don’t need anything but you, and what you choose to give us, Jesus. On our most grace-saturated days, we live in freedom from the opinions of people, the lies of the devil, and the seductions of this world.
Our fears get sabotaged by your presence, our anger gets melted by your love, and our worries topple under the weight of your grace. Give us more of those moments, days, and weeks, Lord Jesus. Being with you is life-giving and heart-freeing. For you are our righteousness, peace, and hope. So very Amen we pray, in your wonderful and merciful name.
