God’s Intervention

June 8

(Acts 12:6-11 NIV) “The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. {7} 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. {8} Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. {9} Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. {10} They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. {11} Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating."

(Job 1:18-22 NIV) ““While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, {19} when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" {20} At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship {21} and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." {22} In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.””

God is sovereign, and sometimes chooses to interject Himself into human history. James was killed by Herod, but Peter was spared by an angelic visitation. We may question God’s fairness and sit in judgment of Him, but we do not view history from eternity. Why do we make deliverance from physical death the measuring stick of God’s power and love? Is personal survival really the only definition of God’s mercy? Is life here on earth really better than eternity in heaven? When we say at funerals, “They’re in a better place”… do we not really mean it? Perhaps James, not Peter, received the greater miracle here. When God intervenes and we survive, we should praise Him -- and when God doesn’t appear to come through, we should praise Him. God is sovereign, and we who believe are blessed, whether the angel comes to save us, or to take us home. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day