“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 NIV.
I stumbled upon this verse yesterday and it hit me like no other. This may be one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Everything about it just makes me want to scream YES. I literally feel like I have been sucker punched after reading it. My throat gets tight. I get completely emotionally overwhelmed reading it and suddenly want to ugly cry.
Same for you? Oh, no? Ok well I am probably just a better Christian than you then.
Glad we cleared that one up.
No, but seriously back to the word of God. We can tally our ‘better Christian’ points up later.
This one hits me. Hard. Every single word cuts deep into my heart. Peter and John were ORDINARY men. Yet, they were blowing people away with their courage that could only come from JESUS. These men had BEEN WITH JESUS.
Guys.this.is.us.
Literally everything in this verse happens every single day in every single one of our ordinary lives. The great, jaw dropping moments of unexplainable selflessness that cause people to gasp are only possible because you had been with Jesus. He is the reason for all greatness and generosity in our lives, He is so good and when glorified in us ASTONISHES others.
The only good in me comes from having been with Jesus. My greatest moments of courage only happen because of JESUS. He is the source of all beauty and goodness, which He so graciously sows in our own lives.
May we spend time enamored, overwhelmed completely in awe of Jesus. May He always become greater and I become less. May our lives be so filled with the truth of Jesus that you literally leave others astonished, jaws dropped at JESUS.
