Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

But Peter and John replied, "Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!
(Acts 4:19 (NIV))

Peer pressure!

Even the disciples experienced it.

They were pressured to not speak the name of Jesus. They were warned that they would face consequences if they did. Thankfully, unlike many people who profess a faith in Jesus, they did not give in to this pressure. In fact, they responded with boldness that could have only come from the Holy Spirit. They knew the truth. They had seen Jesus crucified, dead and buried. They had seen Jesus resurrected from the grave. They witnessed His ascension into heaven. They had seen the power firsthand.

They couldn't keep quiet!

I am eternally thankful that they didn't give in to the peer pressure. Where would we be if they had?

Have you given in to peer pressure? Have you been in situations where it was not politically correct to speak the name of Jesus? Have you been around groups of people who were hostile to the Gospel? What did you do? How did you respond? Did you proverbially tuck your tail and retreat, or did you stop, pray and respond with the words the Holy Spirit gave you?

Is your faith strong enough to trust the Holy Spirit? We are told that we should fully rely on Him in these situations.

"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."
(Luke 12:11-12 (NIV))

I know that none of us are perfect. I know that in our own strength, none of us can face peer pressure that could lead to condemnation or death. We must keep our eyes focused on Jesus and rely on the Helper, the Holy Spirit, that He has sent. We must learn to pray for His guidance and His boldness when our faith is tested so that we can respond in a way similar to Peter and John.

Would we be so bold?

Copyright 1998 - 2025 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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