Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Acts 12:6-19
Set – Job 7; Acts 12
Go! – Job 6-7; Acts 12
Acts 12:6-19
6 Their prayers were not answered, until the night before Peter’s execution.
Picture this event: Peter is sound asleep between two soldiers, double-chained, with still more guards outside the prison door watching for external intruders. 7 Suddenly the cell fills with light: it is a messenger of the Lord manifesting himself. He taps Peter on the side, awakening him.
Messenger of the Lord: Get up, quickly.
The chains fall off Peter’s wrists.
Messenger of the Lord: 8 Come on! Put on your belt. Put on your sandals.
Peter puts them on and just stands there.
Messenger of the Lord: Pull your cloak over your shoulders. Come on! Follow me!
9 Peter does so, but he is completely dazed. He doesn’t think this is really happening—he assumes he is dreaming or having a vision. 10 They pass the first guard. They pass the second guard. They come to the iron gate that opens to the city. The gate swings open for them on its own, and they walk into a lane. Suddenly the messenger disappears.
11 Peter finally realized all that had really happened.
Peter: Amazing! The Lord has sent His messenger to rescue me from Herod and the public spectacle of my execution which the Jews fully expected.
12 Peter immediately rushed over to the home of a woman named Mary. (Mary’s son, John Mark, would eventually become an important associate of the apostles.) A large group had gathered there to pray for Peter and his safety. 13 He knocked at the outer gate; and a maid, Rhoda, answered. 14 She recognized Peter’s voice, but she was so overcome with excitement that she left him standing on the street and ran inside to tell everyone.
Rhoda: Our prayers were answered! Peter is at the front gate!
Praying Believers: 15 Rhoda, you’re crazy!
Rhoda: No! Peter’s out there! I’m sure of it!
Praying Believers: Well, maybe it’s his guardian angel or something.
16 All this time, Peter was still out in the street, knocking on the gate. Finally they came and let him in. Of course, the disciples were stunned, and everyone was talking at once. 17 Peter motioned for them to quiet down and then told them the amazing story of how the Lord engineered his escape.
Peter: Could you please get word to James, our Lord’s brother, and the other believers that I’m all right?
Then he left to find a safer place to stay.
18 But when morning came and Peter was gone, there was a huge uproar among the soldiers. 19 Herod sent troops to find Peter, but he was missing. Herod interrogated the guards and ordered their executions. Peter headed down toward the coast to Caesarea, and he remained there.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
One thing you’ll notice about this story is that prayer works. My disciples spent time on their knees asking for Peter’s release and it happened. They pleaded with Me and I heard them. I had more for Peter to do and I sent one of My angels to release Peter’s chains and lead him through the prison and into the streets a free man.
Another thing you’ll notice from this story is that I didn’t answer their prayers until the last minute. Peter stayed in jail until the night before his execution. He was ready to die for Me, but shared his faith to those in the cell with him until it was time. I waited until it seemed too late before I rescued Peter. I waited until it seemed hopeless so that all would know that it was ony by My hand that Peter was rescued.
Third, you’ll notice that sometimes I work in extraordinary ways to accomplish My will in the world. Walking by two guards without notice, opening locked gates and allowing Peter to stand in the middle of the lane outside the prison was rather extraordinary. I work that way sometimes. I do the impossible and work in ways that cannot be explained except by the hand of a living God.
Sometimes, though, I work My will in the course of natural time and events. I’ll ask people to intervene for Me. I’ll put in their mind to assist Me in some way, to use their talents and skills for the benefit of others. I’ll put people in each other’s paths so that you can help each other and find solutions to life’s problems. I made you as interdependent people. I made you to build relationships with each other and to need each other. I didn’t make you to be hermits or to continually take from others, but to be interdependent. To give and take. To help each other throughout your lives.
I will answer your prayers the same way. Sometimes I will answer quickly in the way you want. Sometimes I will answer, but not necessarily in the way you want but in the way that is best for you. Sometimes I will wait until the very last minute to answer your prayers. Sometimes I will work in impossible ways to show My power and majesty and demonstrate to you and those around you that I am God. Sometimes I will bring someone into your path that will give just the right help needed at just the right time.
I will listen to your prayers and I will answer them just as I did for those praying for Peter.
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