And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.
Fairy tales often end with the line, “And they lived happily ever after.” This is the expected ending, regardless of any problems in the story. Throughout the Old Testament, God spoke to His people and guided them but was always separate from them. They could choose to walk closely with Him or far from Him. But when Jesus came as God in human form, He flipped the script. God came to people to be with them. Even after His ascension, Jesus was no longer far off but was present with His people. This is how the story continues today. Our happily ever after is not that our circumstances will always be comfortable or that life will go as we expect. Our hope is in the God who is with us. God has given us permanent access to Himself through Jesus and by His Spirit. He has not only made it possible for us to be saved but also for us to live with Him.
God’s presence with the early church changed everything about their strategy and success. Instead of depending on their own strength, they leaned into God’s power. Instead of living for their own purposes, they lived for Him. Ephesians 2:19-22 says, “So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” With Jesus as our cornerstone, we now walk with God and are equipped and directed by Him through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- What are some ways you seek to walk with God in everyday life? What are some ways He feels distant?
- How have you grown in your walk with Him? When have you felt alone and God helped you?
- Pray and thank God for His presence with you and His Spirit that equips us to live with
