“But Peter continued knocking, and when he opened, they saw him and were amazed” Acts 12:16.
Why didn’t He rescue James? As the chapter opens, we read that Herod kills James with the sword, violent hands are laid on some in the church, and then he seizes Peter with plans to kill him too after the Passover.
What was going on in the minds of these early Christians when they saw their friends so easily persecuted (and this was after Saul had earlier ravaged the church) and one from Jesus’ inner circle so quickly killed? Was God really with them? Was the church to be destroyed by the world’s relentless hate?
The church was in earnest prayer to God for Peter while he languished in prison. But did they believe in prayer? When an angel miraculously had Peter walk out of the prison to where the church was praying, they don’t believe at first that it is him, and when they finally see him in the doorway, they were amazed.
Amazed? God can do all things, for sure, and their shaken faith was renewed. But why not rescue James the same way? Because it did not suit the sovereign Lord’s purpose! The same Jesus in control of Peter’s situation was in James’ … and in ours too.
─Doug Kashorek
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devotionals
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