Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.

Those who believed what Peter said were baptised and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Acts 2:38
Peter replied: “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
On one occasion I was taking a group of friends to a railway station at the end of a conference. I spoke movingly to them about the excellence of my satnav and the help that it had been to me. We weren’t far away from the station when my passengers expressed some surprise at the route we had taken. There was grass growing up the middle of the road and it certainly didn’t look ideal. However, it was the way the satnav had brought me so I assured them that it must be right. Then, to my horror, the road came to an abrupt halt. It was a dead end! The only way to remedy the situation was to turn around and retrace our steps, and I had to admit that my wonderful satnav was, after all, not infallible.
There are times when the only way to correct a situation in our lives is by admitting that we have done wrong, and do a U turn. That’s called repentance and it was precisely what Peter told his listeners to do on the day of Pentecost. Their sins had caused the death of Jesus and now they needed to head in a completely new direction. If they were willing to turn their lives around in this way the result would be the gift of forgiveness. They would be set free to live a new life with God, which would be marked by baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It's always hard to admit that we have done wrong. It wounds our pride and so we will always be eager to find excuses to justify our actions. But when God shows us that we have sinned against Him, the only appropriate response is to admit that we have let Him down, turn right around and claim His gift of forgiveness.
Question
What is your own experience of God’s forgiveness?
Prayer
Lord God, I admit that I have sinned against You. I repent of my sins and ask for Your gift of forgiveness. Amen

Acts 2:36-37
“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
In his Pentecost sermon Peter carefully explained to his Jewish audience that what had happened had all been in fulfilment of God’s plans. He was very respectful of their patriarch King David but pointed out that, despite all his greatness, David had not risen from death, unlike Jesus the Messiah whom they had had a hand in crucifying. Peter’s sharp challenge pierced them to the heart and they wanted to know what to do in response.
I wonder whether you can think of a moment when you were pierced to the heart. It’s an agonising moment when you know that you cannot avoid the challenge that has been put to you. It reminds me of the time when King David was confronted by the prophet Nathan. David believed he had got away with his adultery with Bathsheba. He had married her, having successfully arranged the murder of her husband. But the prophet Nathan bravely confronted David by telling him the story of a rich man who had cruelly prepared a meal for a visitor by killing not one of his many sheep, but the one much loved little lamb that was the family pet of a very poor family. David seethed with anger and was determined that the rich man should make generous restitution to the abused family. Nathan said to David: “You are that man!” (2 Samuel 12:7) Ouch. David had to admit that he had done wrong and come before God in repentance.
It’s not easy to be challenged, but when we are confronted by the truth it is vital that we take action.
Question
When have you been deeply challenged by someone else’s words and what action did you take?
Prayer
Lord God, thank You for loving me so much that You confront me with the truth about myself. Amen