God's Deliverance

This morning in my quiet time, I read Acts chapter 12. This is the story of Peter being imprisoned by King Herod and God sending an angel to set him free.

It is notable that preceding Peter's miraculous escape, "the church was earnestly praying to God for him." (vs. 5). However the thing that drew my attention was God's power to deliver.

From a human perspective, the situation could not have been more dire and beyond hope. King Herod was bent on executing him, with the trial to be conducted the next day. Peter was imprisoned, chained between two guards and guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Things don't get more desperate than that.

Then God sends his angel, who wakes Peter up, causes the chains to fall off, leads him out between the guards, who see nothing, and walks out the front gate, which opens on its own. What a demonstration of the power of God! What a miraculous rescue!

God does not always choose to rescue His children in such a way. It has been a subject that has been written about, debated and pondered greatly - why bad things happen to good people. I will not address that subject, other than to say that God has a plan and a purpose for each decision He makes.

Though God may not choose to rescue all of us in such a miraculous way, He does promise to always to be with us.

Matthew 28:20 "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The Bible is clear that as Christians, we should not expect smooth sailing.

Matthew 24:9-14 "9 Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

James 1:2-4 "2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Spiritually, we, Christians, are secure, rescued eternally through Jesus Christ:

John 10:28-29 "28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. "

Physically, that's a different story. When we face trials and difficulties, God may rescue us miraculously as He did Peter, He may give us the grace to persevere through the trials, or He may give us the grace to die in a God-honoring way. Below are some examples of each these.

Miraculous Rescues

• Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego rescued from the fiery furnance - Daniel 3. Verses 16 - 18 are a great testimony of their faith in God and the grace He supplied them in that situation. "16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
• Daniel in the lion's den - Daniel 6. Verses 19-23 sum it up. "19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"
  21 Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."
  23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God."

Perseverance Through It

• The apostle Paul. This passage in 2 Corinthians 11 gives a summary of it. "23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked."
• Joseph. Genesis 45:5-7 "5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance."

Bright Lights Extinguished

• Stephen. His death is told in Acts 7. The grace given him is very clear in verses 59 and 60. "59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep."
• At the end of Hebrews 11, there is a list of unnamed heroes who lived and died for their God. "35 ...Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
  39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

In thinking over all this, the song "Thru it All" kept coming to mind. No matter what we go through or how it ends up, God is with us through it it all and gives us what we need to honor Him during the circumstances. And He has the power to accomplish whatever He wills.

When I face the trials in my life, I hope I can respond as Job did when he learned of the loss of his family and his possessions.

Job 1:20-22 "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."

Thank you God for Your faithfulness, for Your super abundant grace and that You have the power to back it all up.