God's Word for Me Today
Monday, September 24, 2001
Focus: Our Mission With The World
A note about online study
Introduction to God's Word for Me Today
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, on the day of Pentecost, Peter and the other apostles were bold witnesses to Jesus! Give me that same boldness in my life today, that I may share the Good News with the people You put in my path. I pray that you will use Your Word written to instruct my mind and bring a new passion to my heart for serving You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
God's Word for Me Today: Acts 2:25-36
25King David said this about him [Jesus]:
‘I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
26No wonder my heart is filled with joy,
and my mouth shouts his praises!27For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.
28You have shown me the way of life,
and you will give me wonderful joy in your presence.’
29“Dear brothers, think about this! David wasn’t referring to himself when he spoke these words I have quoted, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on David’s throne as the Messiah. 31David was looking into the future and predicting the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that the Messiah would not be left among the dead and that his body would not rot in the grave.
32“This prophecy was speaking of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, and we all are witnesses of this. 33Now he sits on the throne of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
‘The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in honor at my right hand
35until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.’
Questions for Reflection
Who is the most famous person among your ancestors?
When you consider your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, what are your hopes and dreams for their future?
Questions for Exploration
What did King David say would be the qualities of the Messiah? (2:25-28)
What does Peter conclude about David’s words, which he quoted in verses 25-28? (2:19-31)
What is Peter’s ultimate conclusion about who Jesus is, and why does he say that the Israelites ought to believe him?
Questions for Understanding
If Jesus’ coming and resurrection were prophesied by King David, as Peter states in Acts 2:25-28, how does this increase our assurance that Jesus is truly the Messiah?
In what sense is Peter using the word “witnesses” in Acts 2:32?
What is the significance of the statement in Acts 2:34b-35 about “The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”
Questions for Application
Peter used the Bible as a “tool” for being a witness to Jesus before the Israelites. What does it mean to have the Bible available as a toll for your daily walk with Jesus? How are you “sharpening” that “tool.” List two specific ways.
List three people who need to have someone share the Good News of Jesus with them—folks who haven’t yet asked Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, or folks who seem to have walked away from their faith in Jesus. Now, pray for these folks today and every day for as long as God leads you to keep praying for them. Also select one of these folks and tell him or her something about Jesus the next time you see her or him.
The Bible: An Important “Tool” For Reaching the World!
When Peter stood before thousands of people on the first Christian Pentecost, he was “armed” with two important “weapons” or “tools”: The Bible and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, God’s personal presence, was in Peter’s life, empowering him to speak boldly to the crowd, to be Jesus’ witness (in Jerusalem at that moment!) to the world. As Peter spoke he continuously referred to passages from the Bible, passages which he had read and which the Holy Spirit brought to his remembrance at that time. Jesus promised His apostles that once He left them and returned to heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who would bring to their remembrance everything that He had taught them. The apostles didn’t have total recall of what they saw, heard, read or experienced, any more than we do. The key is this: Jesus promised to bring these matters to the apostles memories. Thus, as Peter spoke to that Pentecost crowd, God gave Peter exactly the right Scriptures to share with them. How do I know they were the right Scriptures? Because at the conclusion of Peter’s message, 3,000 people committed their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. That’s one effective message!
As we read God’s Word for Me Today, we’re equipping ourselves with the same two weapons or tools as the early Christians. Each day in our prayer we ask God to lead and empower us by His Holy Spirit AND we read His Word. I believe that as we read His word it is place PERMANENTLY in our minds and hearts. We may not remember it at the moment, but as we remain faithful and obedient to Jesus, He’ll give us the opportunity to have it drawn back into our memories. On many occasions I have been talking with someone about God, and a particular Scripture verse or passage has come to mind that made the very point the person had asked me about. While I have a good memory, this has happened on far too many occasions for it to be due simply to that. We are called to do all we can do to be ready to share the Good News of Jesus with others, as His witnesses, but God will use the Holy Spirit to fill in the blanks when we rely on Him.
As we go about this new day as Jesus’ witnesses, how grateful we are that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die and rise again that we may have new life, today and forever, and that he calls us to serve as His witnesses of this Good News to the ends of the earth. How grateful we are that when we need His truth to share His love with others, it will be there!
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