“In Between Normals”: A 30 Day Devotion on the Book of ActsSample

You Cannot Stop God

In today's reading, we meet "King Herod." This is Herod Agrippa I, a grandson of Herod the Great, who killed all the baby boys in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2) Agrippa was a bad king. He put many Christians into prison. He even killed James, one of Jesus' 12 disciples. (12:2) Now, he had Peter put into prison. (12:3)

It’s Not What It Looks Like

If you were Peter, how would you feel? If you were one of the church members praying for the incarcerated Peter, how would you feel?

We human beings can only see what is before us. We see injustice. We see problems. And we may conclude that it’s hopeless! What we cannot see is how God is working behind the scenes. Look at what God was doing here.

Firstly, while Peter was in prison, God sent an angel to save him. It’s such a fascinating story that you must read it to appreciate the twists and turns. There is no human force that can go against the will of God.

Secondly, God exercises his judgement when the right time comes. One day while Agrippa was addressing a crowd, he heard people shouting, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." (12:22) Upon hearing such flattery from the crowd, Agrippa tacitly accepted it! Right at that moment, God’s judgement came and Agrippa died. (12:23)

Thirdly, and this is the part that I love the most, God never stops moving the right people to the right place. "When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark." (12:25)

On the surface, this was just an insignificant detail. But in reality, God was positioning Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark for the most important mission endeavour in human history. (See tomorrow’s reading.)

You cannot stop God. A new dawn is coming. The Roman Empire is about to see the Gospel spread to all its major cities.

My friends, don’t’ be discouraged. For "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:13-14)

Reflection:

What are the things in your world that are bothering you? How does the idea of "God's sovereignty" help you "wait for the Lord” with hope?