To Encourage You

Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

It’s interesting to note how often the Bible warns us to be careful about who we spend time with for there are many ways that one person’s life can affect another’s. For example, the Bible tells us that “the companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). Another example, from 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” Then there’s this warning from Proverbs 7:21-23 to those who might be tempted to spend time with an adulterer: “With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.” Conversely, the first half of Proverbs 13:20 says this: “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.” Sounds like a better alternative, wouldn’t you say? So, in a nutshell, the Scriptures warn us to be very careful of the company we keep for the people we spend time with will have an influence on our life, either for good or bad.

Which brings us to the verse above from Acts 4. Here we have the influence of time spent with the source of all wisdom, i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ. Time spent with Him will affect you. Time spent talking to Him and listening to His Words as He speaks to us through the Scriptures can have a great effect on our lives. In the example given, we see that Peter and John, common laborers, had great boldness as they spoke of spiritual things before the leaders of the Jews. They knew what they were talking about for they had been taught from the One Who knows everything. They boldly spoke the truth, for they had been with the One Who is the Truth.

But what else might the influence of time spent with the Creator of the Universe have on us? For one, it will humble us. Time spent with Him will open our eyes more and more to His glory and His infinite majesty. It was as John the Baptist, a man Jesus called one of the greatest men that had ever lived (Matthew 11:11), spent time with Christ that He would come to say things like “he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:27), and “He must increase but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Time spent with Jesus will comfort us, for He is the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). And as we spend time with this one who loves unconditionally, forgives utterly, and calms the anxious heart, that love, forgiveness, and peace will flow over into our lives so that we can likewise bless others. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg as to the inestimable benefits of sitting at Jesus’ feet.

So are you doing this? Are you spending time with this One Who always has time for us? Are you drawing near to Him so that He can draw near to you (James 4:8)? Or are you too busy for all of this? Do you have better and more urgent things to do? If so, you might want to think again. You might want to reconsider the standing invitation from this One Who has said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).