“Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.” Acts 12:7.
Peter had been arrested and was in jail. He was aware of the death of his fellow leader, James, and was not sure what his own fate would be. Yet, that did not seem to bother him too much because he had been sound asleep when an angel from God appeared inside his jail cell. The angel’s appearance caused a bright light to shine in the darkness, yet Peter still did not awaken. The angel had to wake him up. Peter seemed to be at peace within his circumstances and certainly wasn’t losing any sleep over his arrest.
Imagine what it must have been like to be arrested and jailed under those conditions! Jails in this period were horrible places, and the conditions of his arrest were life-threatening. I am not sure how I would have held up in his situation, yet Peter maintained his peace. Peter bore within his heart the scars of his rejection of Jesus, and now, under the power of the Holy Spirit, he was willing to lay his life on the line for his Lord. And God gave him a peace that is beyond human understanding. This is a peace that I, also, desire to walk in.
Questions to consider: What usually disturbs your peace? Have you experienced a peace that is beyond our human understanding, especially within difficult circumstances? What was that like for you?
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your peace that You freely give to me in all of my circumstances. Help me to recognize Your presence, and the peace that Your presence brings, especially within difficult circumstances. Amen.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
February 18, 2010 - Acts 12:5
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.” Acts 12:5.
James, the brother of John, had been killed by King Herod. Peter, along with some others, had been arrested and thrown into the darkness of a jail cell. As he was there, all the early followers of Jesus gathered to pray to God on Peter’s behalf.
Not too long before this, Peter and the others had received some final instructions from Jesus just before He left them to return to His Father’s side in glory. Jesus’ final words were, “and I will be with you always, even to the ends of the earth.” Interestingly enough, Jesus did not promise them safety; He promised that He would be with them in whatever circumstances they might find themselves. Even in the depths and darkness of the jail, Peter knew Jesus’ presence was with him.
I can think of many times when I have prayed for safety for travelling or in other situations, but I can rarely remember times when I have intentionally asked for or have thanked God for His presence with me in my journey of life. As I read this verse, I was suddenly struck by how privileged I am to have the continual presence of the living God, both in me, and working through me. Peter, while definitely not in a safe place, knew that the comforting presence of God was with him.
Questions to consider: Have you recognized that God will always be with you, even in the most difficult or dangerous of situations? In what ways have you seen His presence in your life – no matter the circumstances – and especially in the hard times?
Prayer: Father, I know that You never promised that I would be safe, even though my whole life experience has been safe. Instead, You promised that You would always be with me. Thank You, Father, for Your presence, no matter what my circumstances are. Amen.
James, the brother of John, had been killed by King Herod. Peter, along with some others, had been arrested and thrown into the darkness of a jail cell. As he was there, all the early followers of Jesus gathered to pray to God on Peter’s behalf.
Not too long before this, Peter and the others had received some final instructions from Jesus just before He left them to return to His Father’s side in glory. Jesus’ final words were, “and I will be with you always, even to the ends of the earth.” Interestingly enough, Jesus did not promise them safety; He promised that He would be with them in whatever circumstances they might find themselves. Even in the depths and darkness of the jail, Peter knew Jesus’ presence was with him.
I can think of many times when I have prayed for safety for travelling or in other situations, but I can rarely remember times when I have intentionally asked for or have thanked God for His presence with me in my journey of life. As I read this verse, I was suddenly struck by how privileged I am to have the continual presence of the living God, both in me, and working through me. Peter, while definitely not in a safe place, knew that the comforting presence of God was with him.
Questions to consider: Have you recognized that God will always be with you, even in the most difficult or dangerous of situations? In what ways have you seen His presence in your life – no matter the circumstances – and especially in the hard times?
Prayer: Father, I know that You never promised that I would be safe, even though my whole life experience has been safe. Instead, You promised that You would always be with me. Thank You, Father, for Your presence, no matter what my circumstances are. Amen.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
February 11, 2010 - Acts 12:1-2
“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.” Acts 12:1-2.
The persecution of the early followers of Jesus intensified, and James, son of Zebedee, brother of John, and one of the first disciples, was martyred. Several other followers, including Peter, were arrested, and no one knew what their fate might be.
These words hit me pretty hard. I realized the life-or-death seriousness of the journey facing these followers of Jesus. Or possibly it was just that I was becoming more sensitized to their situation! I began to think about what this group of people had to endure. What do you suppose this would look like today? How would you react in similar circumstances? It was be sobering for me, causing me to think deeply about my convictions.
I am not so sure how I would respond to persecution. My hope is that I would stand firm in my conviction that Jesus is my Master, my Lord, and my Savior. But how would I respond if my government was trying to “cleanse the land” of us? We say that this could never happen...but what if it did? Consider what happened to the Jews in
Questions to consider: What would be your conviction if persecution started happening in your country? How serious are you about following Jesus? How would you follow Jesus, obeying His most important commands to love, in the face of persecution?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
February 4, 2010 - Acts 11:24
“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” Acts 11:24.
Barnabas, a follower of Jesus who had the nickname, “encourager,” was sent to Antioch in order to check out the stories that Gentiles were becoming followers of Jesus. The leadership in Jerusalem must have recognized Barnabas’ character and his gifting, and they entrusted him with the responsibility of assessing this new move of the Holy Spirit in Antioch. Interestingly enough, after his arrival, it is stated that a “great number” became followers of Jesus evidently because of his work among them. In early church history, it is interesting to note that this same city of Antioch was, in a short amount of time, to become a transitional center of the Christian faith, which was moving from Jerusalem toward Rome.
Barnabas’ work there was very important, yet on his initial entry into the city, he most likely was not aware of how valuable his presence would be to the early Christian movement there. At this point, he was said to be a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” To me, that sounds like what a normal disciple would be. It is amazing what God can do with a person of good character, who makes himself available to be used by the Holy Spirit.
Questions to consider: How available are you to the Holy Spirit? Has your character been developed to a place where you could be used by God in any way that He desires? How does your character get worked on? In what areas are you strong? In what area is your character not so strong? What can be done about that?
Prayer: Father, I am available to be used by You, if You so desire. Please continue to work the character in me that You desire, and please do it in Your way for Your purposes. Amen.
Barnabas, a follower of Jesus who had the nickname, “encourager,” was sent to Antioch in order to check out the stories that Gentiles were becoming followers of Jesus. The leadership in Jerusalem must have recognized Barnabas’ character and his gifting, and they entrusted him with the responsibility of assessing this new move of the Holy Spirit in Antioch. Interestingly enough, after his arrival, it is stated that a “great number” became followers of Jesus evidently because of his work among them. In early church history, it is interesting to note that this same city of Antioch was, in a short amount of time, to become a transitional center of the Christian faith, which was moving from Jerusalem toward Rome.
Barnabas’ work there was very important, yet on his initial entry into the city, he most likely was not aware of how valuable his presence would be to the early Christian movement there. At this point, he was said to be a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” To me, that sounds like what a normal disciple would be. It is amazing what God can do with a person of good character, who makes himself available to be used by the Holy Spirit.
Questions to consider: How available are you to the Holy Spirit? Has your character been developed to a place where you could be used by God in any way that He desires? How does your character get worked on? In what areas are you strong? In what area is your character not so strong? What can be done about that?
Prayer: Father, I am available to be used by You, if You so desire. Please continue to work the character in me that You desire, and please do it in Your way for Your purposes. Amen.
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