Today Devotional 23rd August 2025, Saturday Message
TOPIC: A Sobering Moment
SCRIPTURE READING — Acts 5:1-11
Please support 5dailydevotional.com so we can continue publishing impactful and uplifting content daily. GIVE HERE
Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?” — Acts 5:9
“Kill the chicken to scare the monkey,” says a Chinese proverb. In other words, put the fear of punishment into people, and they will not break the rules. Is that what Peter does in this unnerving story about Ananias and Sapphira?
In the early chapters of Acts, the writer Luke includes progress reports on the growth and character of the early church. At the end of Acts 4 we read that the believers were “one in heart and mind” and “shared everything they had.” We also read of a generous donation by Barnabas, who sold some land and gave all the money to the church.
The story of Ananias and Sapphira, however, reveals a web of deceit. The couple sold some land and kept some money for themselves while pretending to give all the proceeds to the church. Peter harshly condemned them—not for keeping some of the profit but for lying and thinking they could deceive the Holy Spirit.
What should we make of this story? Is Peter making an example of this deceitful couple? Well, this story isn’t mainly about Peter. The Holy Spirit, who lives and moves within us and the church, is carrying out Jesus’ plans for redemption. Ananias and Sapphira’s story reminds us that we should rely only on the Spirit for growth and blessing—and we should never forget that the Spirit is the Lord Almighty.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for the promise and presence of the Holy Spirit, our comforter. Help us to trust and honor the Spirit in all things. Amen.
About the author — Kurt Selles
Kurt Selles is the director of ReFrame Ministries and serves as the Executive Editor of Today. He is a graduate of Calvin College and Seminary, and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to ReFrame, he served 19 years in Taiwan and China with CRC World Missions. Kurt later taught missions at Beeson Divinity School, where he also acted as the director of the school’s Global Center. Kurt and his wife, Vicki, reside in Grand Rapids and have three adult children
