Good morning, brothers and sisters.
Our verse for today comes from Acts 12:13, “When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.”
In recalling what Peter experienced in his escape from jail, we realize that God went to great extremes to set him free. He had an angel escort, they somehow passed by multiple guards completely unnoticed, and chains and an iron gate miraculously released their holds. Clearly God was super interested in getting Peter from behind bars and back out with his people. And once he was in the clear, the angel’s services were no longer needed, so he departed and Peter indeed headed straight for his cohorts. But that’s when things took a turn. At the house of Mark’s mom, the group was gathered and praying. For what we don’t know, but we can presume that among other things, they were praying for Peter’s safety and release from jail. But just as easily as Peter walked out on Herod’s men and their attempts to keep him chained up, he found it equally difficult to get in among the friends who were most concerned for his well-being. It seemed to make sense that the angel was required to get him from behind bars, but who would have guessed that he would still need the angel’s help to get in the house of his friends? But struggle he did. When the servant-girl went to see who was knocking on the door at that time of the night, she was amazed and overjoyed to hear Peter’s voice. But that’s not the response she received from the others inside. And as they went back and forth about her sanity and Peter’s supposed presence at the door, there he remained, out in the street, just a few feet from the people he loved and the cover of Mary’s home.
And we are no strangers to Peter’s plight. We naturally categorize our situations as anything from impending doom to expected thrill. We know what will fail without a miracle and what we can handle with ease. And we have been met countless times with a slap in the face as we presumed upon God what would and should happen. But wisdom would have us lean on Him no matter the issue. Great or small, the first time or the fiftieth, it all happens only as God would have it. And our best position is next to Him, trusting in His might. Let that direct your path and open your doors, whether away from harm or back to the familiar.
As we seek Him today, take nothing for granted, but never doubt God’s love and concern for you.
Have a positive Monday.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
