Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. – Acts 4:13 (NRSV)

In the book of Acts we see Peter and John, two of Jesus’ disciples, were repeatedly brought before the religious rulers to defend the faith they were preaching. They were threatened and beaten however instead of backing down, they stood and boldly put their case for Jesus forward. The people were amazed because they weren’t academics or religious leaders, just simple fishermen who followed Jesus when He called them. Often, we think we need to have our act together, be smarter, or holier to be loved by Jesus, but that’s not the case. Jesus wants us to come to Him, as we are, flaws and all. He isn’t looking for perfection but for open hearts that are seeking Him. When we open our hearts to Him and spend time with Him, only then can we be truly transformed.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we are so thankful that You meet us where we are, in our sin and shame, and You pour forth your love and grace. Thank you for taking up our sin on the Cross and we pray that you would change us from the inside out and make us the men and women that You want us to be. Amen.