Daily Devotional | Rescued by God

Do you enjoy surprises? Perhaps a refund you didn’t expect or friends who surprised you with a party. Surprises can delight or dismay us. But for God, there are no surprises at all. The early church could take comfort in knowing that nothing was beyond His control, not even the persecution they were enduring.

In Acts 12, the church experienced two surprises that demonstrated God’s intervention and provision. The first was Peter’s deliverance from prison, which even had elements of humor. While the church prayed, Peter was asleep, seeming untroubled by his predicament. In fact, he slept so soundly that the angel struck him on the side to wake him up (v. 7). Peter then followed the angel’s instruction, passing by two guarded gates until they came to the third, which opened on its own accord. Perhaps because he was dazed with sleep, Peter realized that a miracle had taken place only after he had walked a full block!

The second was Peter’s surprise arrival at their prayer meeting. Despite their earnest prayers, the church was stunned when Peter showed up at the door. They refused to believe the servant who brought the news. Then, the servant girl was so excited that she forgot to unlock the door and let Peter in! The place where they were meeting was also the house where John Mark (the author of the Gospel of Mark) and his mother stayed (v. 12). A fourth-century tradition also identified this as the location of the Last Supper. James and the other disciples were elsewhere, probably hiding (v. 17). The details given in this narrative of Peter’s escape suggest that Luke had heard about the event from someone who was an eyewitness.

>> The answers to our prayers are not always as miraculous as this, but we are often just as surprised. Are you sometimes nervous about asking God to answer your prayers? Do not be afraid. Your heavenly Father knows what you need even before you ask (Matt. 6:8).

Pray with Us

As we read Acts 12 today, we enjoy the lighter mood of the narrative and the elements of humor and irony in Scripture. Lord, thank you for revealing real, even flawed, people in your Word, as well as their emotions and feelings.

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.