Day 160

2 Samuel 14:1-15:12, Acts 5:12-42, Proverbs 14:15-24

Sometimes being successful for God brings with it real risks. A woman with some bleeding thought that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus robe, she would be healed. Never mind having to touch him, people thought that Peter’s shadow would be enough. There is the potential here for the servant to surpass the master, people seemed to hold Peter in such high regard that there was the risk of him outshining Jesus. Thankfully Peter was continually pointing to Christ so that people could see where the real glory was.

Then we have one of the Pharisees shooting himself in the foot. Historically, we know that there had been people claiming to be the Messiah, claiming to free the people from the Romans, and they had had followers like Jesus. Jesus will have been compared to them in many circles, yet all of these people fell away, and their followers soon disappeared. If Jesus is from God, though, “you will not be able to stop” his followers – says this Pharisee. Well, they did not, and they have not, fallen away. In fact Christianity is still the fastest growing religion. Let’s just revisit those words again, “if this is of God you will not be able to stop these men”.

There is also risk to self. Have you noticed that the early disciples had guts. They were ordered, just after a good flogging, never to speak the name of Jesus ever again. Then in the next paragraph, they head off to the temple courts and never stop speaking the name of Jesus. If you were faced with a beating or even death, would we speak out or would we keep quiet. It is extremely hard, self preservation is something that God built into humanity, and that means trying to escape death. Yet when we put God first, that means ahead of ourselves, it overrides any instinct of self preservation.

So, who do we need to speak to about God and are we going to do it, no matter what the risks?