Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3.

Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Hebrews 12:3 NKJV.

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33.

Each of the above Scripture verses point us to Jesus, the Son, Creator God. Anytime I read about Peter, I think of the ocean we have traversed on cruises. Watching the water from above, it’s impossible to pinpoint a pattern because the water, so deep, is always in motion undulating and moving; forming and reforming constantly. Just as when Peter walked to Jesus on the water secure until he looked at the waves; just as when storms of life swell within and without us and those we love. Constant undulating movement ebbing and flowing, surging and calming. Peter and the disciples had three years with Jesus as He taught and loved them. Can you imagine? And in our chapter, Acts 3, we see the fruit of that in Peter now. Do you want to know Jesus? Truly know Him? Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour; the hour of prayer. And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene – walk!” And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God; and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. v. 1-10. Peter and John are moving forward because they know Jesus is still with them. He overcame the world so to Him we keep our eyes! While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.” v. 11-16. That bears repeating! And on the basis of faith in His name…it is the name of Jesus…which has strengthened this man…the faith which comes through Him…“And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’” (Deuteronomy 18:15). v. 17-23. I read a little further in Deuteronomy…“This is according to all that you asked of the Lord your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, let me not see this great fire anymore or I will die.’ The Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which He shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. Deuteronomy 18:16-19. Creator God knew before the creation of us that Jesus, the Son, would be sent. Peter goes on: “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ (Genesis 22:18). For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.” v. 24-26. How does all of that come together? Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

In this world of storms within and without, do you want to be refreshed in the presence of the Lord within you? He overcame this world of storms. He brings His peace into our hearts and minds and spirits hungering for what is sure and true…Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. We can only do that with Him with us showing us the way because the way is always Creator God and His love for us. Can we begin to understand so great a love that Creator God came to live among us, not as fire and smoke burning the mountain that was needed for them, recently released slaves of a nation of many gods. It takes time to come to know God. It takes the unfolding of understanding He brings in His timing for us as we are able to receive.