Thursday 13 Apr 2023

April 13: Acts 3:17-26

Key Verse: Acts 3:21
Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

Devotion:
How many times do you look back on the things you were told as a young child and see how they come true when you are an adult? Some of the things which used to confuse you as a child suddenly start to make sense… What you do with those things will start to define you from this moment onward. If you continue to reject them you will grow to not trust in much. If you accept them and live with them you will grow to accept the truth and hold on to it. Choices we make change our lives!

I would have loved to be a fly-on-the-wall during times like these where a disciple tears into the Jews for what has happened and tells them plainly of the truth they ignored. But Peter does not reject the Israelites because of what they have done; he reminds them of the truth of the scriptures which they have followed all their lives. That truth being they need to have faith in the scriptures, faith in God and now that Jesus has lived out the story of their Messiah, faith in Christ!

This is not the end of the story because this is just another step in the scriptures being fulfilled. Jesus was raised from the dead and He must return to Heaven, just as He said. That time of Jesus being in heaven is a time span through which we need to show faith. We do not know the time span, how long, how far, how good, how bad… but we do know Christ will return one day when at the time God has appointed!

We have had all the warning we are going to get. We have had the Messiah come and be with us. We have crucified the Messiah. God raised Him up from the dead. Now we wait. Now is the appointed time to wait, with faith...

Points to Ponder:
How do you define your faith?

Will you wait patiently for Christ to return?