Thursday, March 3 – Acts 4:19-20

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, make your own judgment; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Think of a time when you were primed to be defensive toward a person or situation. When we sense that there will be conflict, our senses are often on high alert in order to address any objection. This may come in the form of snarky comebacks or a calculated response. Even though Peter and John knew they were speaking to people who were against them, they did not hold back from the truth (Acts 4:8-12), but they also balanced that confidence in the truth with humility, accepting punishment even when they didn’t deserve it. Their confidence in God wasn’t a point they had to prove but a gift they were determined to share.

This characteristic is called meekness. We see it displayed in the life of Jesus, and in this passage, it was evident in Peter and John. They trusted and submitted to God in the face of adversity. We often associate the word meek with weak, but it doesn’t mean that at all. “Meekness is not weakness but rather refers to exercising God’s strength under His control—i.e. demonstrating power without undue harshness.”[1] In a world that is full of media that gets us fired up about the things that frustrate us, it is important to be reminded of this sacred quality of our faith. We have great power from God, but this is not to be wielded against others; rather, it gives us quiet confidence to humbly stand firm, even in the face of conflict.

• Why do you think it is so easy to become defensive when we face opposition?
• Why do you think meekness is a quality Jesus values (Matthew 5:5)?
• Pray and ask God to reveal areas where you struggle to trust His strength instead of your own.

[1] “Strong’s Greek: 4239. Πραΰς (Praus) — Mild, Gentle.” Bible Hub, 2021, https://biblehub.com/greek/4239.htm.