.....fear

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness Acts 4:29

Peter and John had been ministering in some pretty amazing ways, teaching faithfully that Jesus had risen from the dead. Their teaching and the healing of a lame man drew some attention from the Jewish leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the law, so they were arrested and questioned. 

If you read the first verses in Acts 4, you might think that these men had no fear! They bravely stood before the Council and answered the questions being asked of them. Acts 4:13 says, "The members of Council were amazed to see how bold Peter and John were and to learn that they were ordinary men of no education." However, later we see that they are released with a threat… under no condition were they able to teach in the name of Jesus. And although we see the brave reply from Peter and John, this strong warning instilled fear. 

Our natural response to such threats might be to withdraw to avoid further consequences. However, Peter and John joined with other believers, and together prayed to God. They believed and trusted that God had them there for a reason, and they wanted to be obedient and continue the work God had set before them, so instead of asking God to miraculously make the opposition disappear, they asked for boldness to speak God's message. After they prayed, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and God granted them the boldness they prayed for. 

We all have fears. There is no question about that. Often, we feel tempted to give in to these fears and let them stop us from doing what God has called us to do. Instead of giving into fear, we need to move forward trusting that God will provide what we need to boldly face the opposition we may encounter. Fear only grows when we let it stop us. However, our faith can grow greater than our fear when we obey God and continue taking steps forward. Our fears will diminish when we choose to embrace the boldness that we have in Christ and His Spirit that lives within us.