Putting God to the Test

Read Acts 5.

Meditate on the passage answering the following questions:
1. What does this tell me about God and the Lord Jesus Christ?
2. What lesson can I learn from this passage?
3. What particular sin does it warn me against?
4. What verse, phrase or single word can I take with me for the day?

Pray

In this passage we see how God responds to those who challenge Him. In the first section of Acts 5. We note that Ananias and Sapphira felt that they could challenge God with their words. They claimed one thing when the reality was quite different. How many times have we fooled man with our words, but we knew the truth was quite different. We so badly want to impress people that we forget that God sees the heart and knows the truth. Obviously the result of Ananias and Sapphira's challenge to God ended in their death.

But as Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." We see that brought awe and wonder to the church. If only we learned to fear God like that early church did, maybe we wouldn't challenge God with our behavior.

In the next section, we once again see the religious leaders of the day challenge God's new covenant. They are still not comfortable with these people who speak of Jesus, whom they killed. They want to silence them like they thought they had Jesus. And once again, we see God perform the miraculous. God cannot be stopped. And the people who truly love God cannot be stopped. These men, even after imprisonment, are back in public preaching about Christ. We should learn that we cannot remain silent, but we must stand and speak God's truth.

In the final section of Chapter 5, we see that Gamaliel recognizes that God should not be challenged. If these men are truly of God, they can't be stopped. But if they are not of God, God alone will bring an end to their message. As Christians, we need to stop trying to speak from our wisdom and let God and His word stand in front.

Almighty God in Heaven,
Today, let us seek your face. Let us stop challenging you and your divine nature at every turn. May we look to you to be our defender. May we stand for the truth of your word and not let others tell us how to stand. God where we have sinned in our selfish ways forgive us. When we assert our weakness (thinking it to be greater than you) forgive us. Lord, when we say we are giving our whole selves to you, may it not be for public approval, but a total giving of ourselves. May we not hold anything back, and when we do please forgive us. "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Please forgive us as we seek your face.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.