Daily Devotional For Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Good Morning Southside! It is a brand new day in a brand new week. Sometimes God moves in ways we never dream. In Acts 12, King Herod is on a hunting trip. He is hunting down disciples of Jesus. Below is the story in Acts 12:1-11:

“Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. (2) And he had James, the brother of John, put to death with a sword. (3) When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. (4) When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. (5) So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. (6) On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. (7) And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. (8) And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” (9) And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. (10) When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. (11) When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting” (NASB).

I love this story for many reasons and I love the “humor” in it. Peter is awakened by an angel and told what to do. He simply walks out of the prison undetected. Peter thinks he is having a vision from the Lord when in reality this is real. It reminds me when we have dreams that are so intense we wake up thinking or asking ourselves, “Was this real? Did I really experience this?” Peter must have been in a very deep sleep in this prison surrounded by all these guards. If you have children, they sleep deeply and when you wake them up, they are sort of in a daze much of the morning. His peers are praying for his release and God does it, but they don’t believe it.

Look at Acts 12:12-17:

“And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. (13) When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. (14) When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. (15) They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” (16) But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. (17) But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place.” (NASB).

When the Spirit-filled Church began to grow, politicians and religious leaders tried to crush the new threat to their authority. They stoned to death Stephen, “a man full of God’s grace and power” (Acts 6:8). Then, Herod had James killed and Peter jailed. Those early believers knew to pray, so they gathered in a home and were “earnestly praying to God for [Peter]” (Acts 12:5). 

But when an angel rescued Peter, and he went to tell his friends what the Lord had done, they didn’t believe it! “Peter can’t be here,” they told the servant who answered the door. “We’re in here praying he’ll get out of jail!” Does that sound like us? We know to pray and believe that God will answer according to His will. But when He does answer our prayers, do we doubt Him? Or do we rejoice and give Him all the credit He is due? Does this happen today? Yes it does! Read below:

“In 2011 there was a gathering of world Christian leaders from 200 countries. One of the speakers was the Anglican archbishop of Jos, Nigeria. His name is Benjamin Kwashi, and he shared a story that was horrific and inspiring at the same time. Jos, this city in Nigeria, has been rocked by sectarian violence for years now, primarily between Christians and Muslims. There have been endless cycles of violence and vengeance and hundreds of people killed. In March of 2009, a gang of people broke into the bishop's house to kill him. He wasn't home, but his wife was. They did unspeakable things to her, and they beat her and left her for dead. He found her, and she was still alive, but she spent most of the following year in recovery. A year to the day after this gang beat her, in March of 2010, they came back. They broke into his home again, and this time they did find Benjamin. They dragged him out of his house, and they were about to kill him. They had machetes and clubs. Benjamin asked for just a moment to pray before they began. So he knelt there on the dirt and began to pray.

A moment later he felt someone holding his hand. He looked up, and it was his wife. I still can't believe the courage of that woman. She could have run, but instead she broke through this line of the same people who had attacked her a year ago and knelt with her husband to pray with him, knowing that her life was over as well. And then a moment later, he felt someone holding his other hand. He looked, and it was his teenage son. Benjamin begged his son to leave so that he wouldn't be killed as well. And his son said, "Father, they've all left. They're all gone."

Why did they leave? Benjamin said he has no idea. And he knows they'll be back. Perhaps the reason they left is that when this bishop and his wife were kneeling in the dirt in prayer, the manifold wisdom of God was put on display before the powers and authorities in the heavenly realm. There was wisdom and power there that these people could not comprehend, and they became afraid and they fled” (Source: Benjamin Kwashi).

This story reveals that God did not intervene in Benjamin Kwashi’s wife attack, but He did in Benjamin, his wife and his son. Why God saves some and not others, I do not know the answer other than I trust that God knows what is best. 

Questions To Consider

1. When has God answered a prayer of yours? Did you thank Him?Why or why not? Did you share it with others? Why or why not?
2. What are some prayers that God has not answered for you? Any idea as to why there has either been a delay or a denial by God on this?
3. What has been a prayer that God answered for you in a way that totally either surprised you or shocked you?
4. These early Christians were praying for Peter and probably for his safety and release. When God did it, why do you think they did not believe it? Rhoda knew it was Peter, but did not unlock the gate for him to enter. Instead, she ran back to tell everyone, leaving Peter standing outside. If you’re Peter, what are you thinking and feeling?
5. Jews in Peter’s day believed that every Jew had a guardian angel just like many Christians do today. Nowhere in the Bible does it ever mention guardian angels. They never jumped up until they kept hearing Peter knocking on the door. Even if they believed it was Peter’s angel, why do you think they didn’t even jump up and go check immediately instead of saying that Rhona was out of her mind? 
6. How do you respond when someone shares good news? Do you tend to say, “Well, you had a good doctor,” or “You’ve worked hard for that promotion”? Or is your response, “Thank You, Lord!”?

Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 24:9,  “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name” (NASB),

Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, You are God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Help me to always give You glory for good news, even when others are involved in the results. You use people to fulfill Your purposes, and I praise You for Your mighty works! Lord, please help me to celebrate and give You glory when you answer prayers for others and trust You if you delay or deny mind. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly