David Bahn – Reflections

Acts 12:5 

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

I have known two different families whose lifestyle reflected a very large income from non-traditional sources. One of those families had inherited a large amount of money and were living off the income, having bought a very large house in an upscale neighborhood. Neither the husband nor wife worked, and the children had most all of the toys and gadgets you could want or imagine. The other family received a yearly check, having won a major lottery payoff. They would buy a new car every two years and enjoyed an easy lifestyle – not overly-extravagant, but financially easy. Few of us have wealthy relatives who provide a nice inheritance. Fewer still win the lottery. But neither approach would serve well for sound financial planning. Most people who are financially secure are also very frugal and take a long-term financially-conservative approach to life.

When it comes to our relationship with God, there are those times when he miraculously intervenes in our lives. A disease is healed. A loved-one is returned to the faith. Someone is spared from grave danger by obvious miraculous divine intervention. Those moments are gifts from God, and signs of his mighty power and gracious love for us. Those moments, however, should not be the primary foundation of our faith. They adorn our walk with God and testify of his greater work. They are blessings for which we certainly are deeply thankful.

The long-term practice of the Christian faith, however, is often much more ordinary. We go to work. We care for our family. We love our neighbor. We worship God. We pray. To rely on the miraculous interventions of God to validate a life of faith is a certain setup for feeble faith. Strong faith is forged in the day to day walk with God, living under Christ in his kingdom, serving him, and loving our neighbor. A life of thanksgiving, praise, obedience, and humility is the pathway of true faith and substantive spirituality.

Having said all that, however, sometimes the extraordinary interventions of God do come. Sometimes our prayers are answered in ways we would never even imagine. When the church was praying for Peter (see the full story from Acts 12 below), they may have been praying for his faithfulness, courage, and protection. It is obvious, however, that when the answer came, and Peter stands at the house where prayers were being lifted for him, no one expected God to have released him from prison in that miraculous fashion! But there he was: God had provided an angel to spring Peter from his chains and lead him out of the prison. This was so remarkable and unexpected that not only did Rhoda not open the door to him in her excitement, but the rest of the people denied that it was even him outside.

The walk of faith is a delightful dance of humble, day-by-day faithfulness, and the sometimes spectacular interventions of God. While not depending on miracles to validate our faith, we should watch for God’s kingdom to be manifest – sometimes in miraculous ways. And when God’s kingdom breaks through in miraculous power and deliverance, we should praise God and tell others. In the mean time, we pray, “Our Father in heaven…”

Acts 12:1-19

About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress 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 followed him. 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 the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, 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 brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.