Pierced to the Heart

​Meditation
Acts 2:36,37—“Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!”  When they heard this, they came under deep conviction and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles:  “Brothers, what must we do?”
 

When I speak to my soldiers about safety it is not hard for me to be passionate.  I know firsthand what it is like to have one of my men decapitated because he drove his car right into a truck that he never saw pull out in front of him.  I know what it is like to lose 248 men and women to a plane crash and be hampered in body identification because against regulations they carried their own dental records.  I’ve seen what happens when people text and drive and die.  So it’s not hard to say the difficult things young people need to hear so they don’t go out and do something stupid.  

I can imagine how passionate Peter was when he stood in front of his countrymen and shared about Jesus.  He heard them yelling “Crucify!” and approve His Lord’s torture.  He saw the hypocrisy that turned “hallelujah’s” into murderous threats. He felt the lingering pain of knowing he had denied his own Master.  His spirit was riled by the truth that lies were blinding his fellow Jews from understanding the certainty that Jesus was their Messiah.  When he spoke his words dripped with emotion.  He cared.

Peter dared to declare truth with passion.  He decided it did not matter whether he was killed or not, he would not be muzzled. His words boiled with authenticity. The result was that many of his listeners “came under deep conviction.” Literally this means they were pierced to the heart.  
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When was the last time your words sizzled with the fire of conviction?   When was the last time you saw a heart pierced?  If you are just living life and checking off each day as another boring marker may I suggest a radical tune up!  Read again what it cost God to reach you.  Think again of the consequences for those who turn their back on heaven and trudge to hell.  I pray to God someone will see in you and in me the eternal light of hope and ask with trembling voice, “What must we do!”  If this has not been the case for a prolonged time then brothers and sisters we must wake up!  If we slumber in apathy we don’t just miss the joy that comes from seeing pierced hearts saved by the pierced Savior, we are contributing to the very malaise that strangles our nation.    
 
Inspiration
A passionless Christianity will not put out the fires of hell.—Wesley Duewell
 
©2012 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)