Acts 4:23-31

Acts 4:23-31
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Our kids think band-aids make everything better.  Sometimes they aren't even bleeding and they ask for a band-aid, because they believe the band-aid cures them.  We don't ask questions, but mainly push through the path of least resistance to happy kids.
  Here, the disciples are surrounded by threats.  The first-century world was not friendly to the early church, but notice how they pray.  When their are threats, they're not even asking for the threats to disappear -- they are praying for boldness in the face of the threats!  They recognize the danger, but they don't want an easy way out, they don't want the pain to simply pass -- they want to continue to serve God in the face of the danger and threats.  The only thing that will help them as they are surrounded by threats is the boldness to proclaim Christ's love even in the face of danger.  They are living out their purpose under threat.
  So the challenge for us is to not seek easy ways out.  When their is danger or threats, often we just move to the area where the smoothest path out of danger awaits.  Here, we can learn from the church that the task is not to flee danger, but rather to continue to serve God no matter what.