After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness. 

—Acts 4:31

Scripture:

Acts 4:31 

In today’s devotion, we’re going to talk about the hot-button issue of risk versus reward—knowing when to be bold and when to exercise caution in the decisions that mark our lives. We’re going to focus specifically on risk versus reward as it relates to our Christian faith. And we’re going to start in the book of Acts.

As we saw in several earlier devotions, the Christians in the book of Acts set a high bar when it came to boldness. They understood the risks of sharing the gospel. The apostles Peter, John, and Paul, along with Silas and countless others, were thrown in prison for carrying out God’s work. Stephen and James, among countless others, were killed for their bold faith.

The reason is that these first-century Christians also understood the rewards of fulfilling the Great Commission. They considered the risks but decided that the rewards were too great to pass up.

So, what about Christians today? Many believers are perfectly willing to take a step of faith—if there’s a backup plan. They prefer to have a safety net. And when it comes to making spiritual decisions, there’s certainly a place for caution, a place for prudence, and a place for seeking the counsel of those who have lived longer than we have. Having said that, there is also a place for faith. There is also a place for taking chances and deciding that the risks are worth it.

Generally speaking, the older we get, the less willing we are to take risks. We prefer to have everything laid out for us. We want to know what will happen after this and after that. But sometimes God will say, “I’m not going to tell you. I want you to just obey Me.”

That’s why I would rather try something and fail than never try at all. And if you do try and ultimately fail, then learn something from your failure. I would venture to say that any person who has been successful in ministry, in business, or in any other enterprise has had more than his or her share of failures and has learned something from every one of them. It’s been said that the doorway of success is often entered through the hallway of failure. So, if at first you don’t succeed, relax. You are just like the rest of us.

I’m urging you to take a risk and do something for God. If you’ve been thinking about starting a Bible study at work and are unsure whether anyone will show up, go for it. If you’re thinking of sharing the gospel with someone, but you don’t know how they will respond, go for it. Try it. Pray about it. Ask the Lord for direction. But take a risk. Take a chance here and there and watch what God will do.

Reflection question: What would taking a spiritual risk look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. . . . And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. 

—Psalm 115:4, 8

Scripture:

Psalm 115:4 

Psalm 115:8 

In today’s devotion, we’re going to talk about the hot-button issue of the cult of personality—that is, the temptation to place people on pedestals and give them too much influence or power over us.

To frame the discussion properly, we need to go back to Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for His people to obey. Those commandments still play a large role in the lives of God’s people, although some may seem to play a larger role than others.

At first glance, the Second Commandment might seem like the least necessary of the ten today. You’ll find the second Commandment in Exodus 20:4–5: “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me” (NLT).

Some people might argue that golden calves and other graven images aren’t twenty-first-century problems. And while it’s true that most believers today aren’t tempted to smelt gold to create pagan tchotchkes, the second Commandment is still extremely relevant.

The reality is that idols come in all shapes and sizes because people come in all shapes and sizes. Many well-meaning believers fall into the trap of making idols out of people they admire.

Have you ever heard of a sports hero? How about American Idol? We use the phrases somewhat jokingly: “That person is a sports god” or “I idolize that person. He’s a guitar god.” But the way some people look at certain individuals, it could be that they have made a person their god.

We can make idols out of people in the church, too. We can make an idol out of a man or woman of God, someone whom the Lord has used to bless us. We can start to admire them too much. But here’s what we need to remind ourselves: Those people are human just like us. They will be wrong. They will fail us. They will disappoint us. They will give in to temptation. They will struggle in certain areas of their lives.

The problem is that people become like the gods they worship. Psalm 115 warns, “Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. . . . And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them” (verses 4, 8 NLT).

The only person who deserves that position in our lives is the Lord. He alone is deserving of our worship.

Reflection question: How can you keep from elevating people too much in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. 

—Luke 12:32

Scripture:

Luke 12:32 

Over the next couple of weeks, we’re going to be talking about hot-button issues—things that play a large role in people’s lives today. And we’re going to start with finding happiness.

The pursuit of happiness seems to be part of the DNA of our culture. It’s so embedded in our consciousness that the Founding Fathers listed it as a fundamental right in the Declaration of Independence.

The irony is that for many people the pursuit of happiness is an empty, frustrating, and ultimately unfulfilling experience. The harder they pursue, the less happy they find themselves.

A better option can be found in God’s Word.

The word blessed comes from the Greek word makarios, which refers to the kind of happiness that is self-contained. When we see the word blessed used in the New Testament, that is the happiness it’s referring to.

Too often in our lives, our happiness is not self-contained. Rather, it’s contingent on good things happening. We convince ourselves that if we could just get that raise at work or if we could just meet the right person or if we could just own the object of our desires, then we would be happy. Until those things happen, our happiness is on hold.

If something fun or exciting happens, we may experience happiness for a brief time. But when the fun or excitement ends, so does the happiness. In other words, our happiness depends on certain things occurring.

But being blessed is a different concept altogether. Blessings depend on God. They don’t ebb and flow based on circumstances or moods. You can experience God’s blessings regardless of what’s happening in your life. You can be blessed in even the worst circumstances. That’s the idea of makarios.

The amazing news is that God wants to bless you. Jesus said, “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32 NLT).

When I was raising my two sons, I spoiled them. I would randomly buy toys for them. I would say, “Let’s go to the toy store.” It wasn’t a birthday or Christmas. We would look around, and then we would end up buying a big toy. That’s how I spoiled my children. I suppose that’s the privilege of a parent.

If you’re a child of God, then know this: God loves to bless His children. In fact, God wants to bless you even more than you want to be blessed.

Draw close to Him. Spend time in His Word, getting to know Him and His will for your life. Pour your heart out to Him in prayer. Tell others about the difference He’s made in your life. And then watch what He does in your life.

Stop pursuing happiness. Start pursuing God.

Reflection question: What would pursuing God look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie