Problems will always be a part of living in a fallen world; therefore, we must decide how we view a problem and choose how to handle each one. We cannot just ignore each daily difficulty, because many times a problem arises to reveal and teach us something about life and help us gain strength to face every challenge that will arrive in the future. In Christ, we are more than conquerors, so we must have things to conqueror!
To conquer is “to subdue or overcome” and believers do that by the power of the Holy Spirit and righteous influence. I imagine with each problem we may face, our default way of handling it would be to ask our Holy Helper to simply take the problem away. Yet, what if rather than asking the Lord to take the problem that is disturbing our peace away, we press in to ask the Lord for more wisdom, help, and courage to be victorious in the midst of the problem so others around us can see the power of God working in our lives? The work of disciples is about allowing the power of God to be revealed.
In our passage today, Peter and John have been proclaiming the resurrection of Christ from the dead. It is not the message anyone in governing leadership or power wants to hear. The atmosphere around the early church family is filled with hatred toward the truth. Jesus was terribly misunderstood and his followers find themselves there, as well.
The Roman government and religious leaders continue to silence the believers and seek to snuff out the faith they have in the work of the Spirit and the power outflowing Christ’s resurrection. These believers are powerful and influential to win hearts for the truth of Christ; a threat to unbelief so the work of evil [lies] is relentless. Time and time again, the disciples are viewed as a problem to be dealt with and asked to give an account for the miracles they experience, “By what power or what name do you do this?” (Acts 4:7). So, the disciples pray for more courage!
When the world is unkind and filled with judgmental hate for believers, we must remember this is not something new. In fact, it was through the avenue of these problems, the church became a revelation of the living, resurrected Lord. I saw a brief commentary on the news the other day about how Christians are a threat to freedom and democracy. Well, friends, if our hearts are filled with the love of God, we are no real threat to freedom or democracy. We are, however, a threat to a fallen and sin-filled earth because we are carrying a Conqueror who is returning to judge the world.
Christians are actually a part of Christ’s protective grace in the world; we are a gift not a threat and not a problem to be removed. But, that will happen one day when Christ returns for his grace-covered Bride and I cannot imagine what it will be like to live with the problems humanity has created in God’s world with grace absent!
Acts 4:23-31 NLT The Believers Pray for Courage
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— 25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry?
Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26
The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah’ (Ps 2:1-2).
27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for even the difficult things we must face in life, because we have you to help us handle and conquer them. Help us yield to you rather than the temptation to think we must escape every difficulty or handle things in our natural strength. Give us more courage and remind us we are to pray about everything. We place our faith in your plan and know you will be faithful to provide what we need each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.