Acts: A 14-Day Devotional For MenSample

You Will Receive Power
Acts 1:6–11

Many men resonate with the idea of having power. Think of all the movies that have powerful men at the center. These movies do well at the box office because they fulfill our desire for raw, physical power, the ability to accomplish something great no matter what kind of obstacles block our way. 

This desire is reflected in the question that Jesus’ disciples posed in Acts 1:6. The “kingdom” they were interested in was one of political and military power. During the time when these verses were written, the power of the Romans had dominated the Jewish world for many decades. But Israel had been occupied before, and the last time this had happened, a group of Jewish rebels had thrown out the invaders by force. The disciples wondered if Jesus was planning something just as heroic, something that would show them and the world the kind of stuff they were made of. 

Fortunately, Jesus’ vision of power was of a different sort. They would “receive” power, but it wasn’t power for political dominance, military conflicts, or fistfights. It was the power of the Holy Spirit—God dwelling within them and transforming them. And part of this power meant being equipped to be witnesses (v. 8). 

Witnessing can sound intimidating or even undesirable. But later in Acts, it becomes apparent that witnessing means being changed by God and being able to direct other people to the source of that change. In chapter 4, a crowd of listeners is astounded when they hear the witness of Peter and John, who are known to be “uneducated” and common men, but who speak with “boldness” (4:13). The fact that Peter and John overcome challenges like a lack of education (and, doubtless, their fear of public speaking!) is a testimony in itself—that God enables people of all sizes, backgrounds, ages, and temperaments to do what they otherwise cannot or will not do. 

The movies with raw, physical power emphasize being strong, daring, young, or handsome, and for those who don’t meet those criteria, it’s easy to feel shut out. But the comfort of the power of the Holy Spirit is that it begins not with our natural abilities but with looking outside of ourselves. Just as a witness in a courtroom is most powerful when he is describing truthfully the events that he has seen or heard, the followers of Jesus are given power to speak of the transformation that God has worked in them.—Justin Holcomb