Lord of the Day

I have been leading a Bible Study on the Book of Acts at Heart of the Shepherd every Sunday morning for several weeks now.  It has been about 4 weeks since we read Chapter 12.  Today I read it with my daughter and suddenly I discovered something I had not noticed only a few weeks ago.  This is what I love about the Bible!  When God calls it the Living Word, it is because it takes form in our lives regularly if we allow it, bringing life with that understanding.

In Acts Chapter 12 it is recapping the story of Peter being imprisoned for spreading the Gospel.  So threatening was the message, that his captors saw fit to have him guarded by four squads of soldiers containing four soldiers each.  That's 16 men to 1 man in chains.  And as overly cautious as this may sound, it wasn't enough.  Peter's friends were back home praying for him earnestly.  The night before he was to go to trial, an angel awakens him and leads him out of the prison.  He goes to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where everyone has been praying for him.  A servant girl, named Rhoda goes to the door and she is so excited to see him that she forgets to let him in and runs to tell everyone.  Verse 15 was the moment of revelation for me.  "'You're out of your mind,' they told her.  When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, 'It must be his angel.'"

Originally, I found the interaction with Rhoda humorous.  The girl forgets Peter at the door, she's so excited!  And I suppose because I was amused by that, I missed what the comments by the rest of the party really implies.  You see, these people had been praying for Peter.  It is reasonable to guess that they were praying for his protection, for his release, for his faith, and for his comfort.  And these same praying people cannot believe it when he actually shows up at the door.  In fact, they explain away the girl's persistence by saying it must be Peter's angel.  In other words, they think it is more reasonable that Peter is dead and his angel is paying them a visit, than to believe that Peter was actually released from prison.

It occurred to me that we Christians suffer from this same disconnect in our daily walk of faith.  It is as though we trust God in heavenly matters, but often don't expect Him to intervene with our earthly ones.  And when He does answer those prayers with the friend we have needed, or the money to cover unexpected costs, or a sudden sense of peace, we often give ourselves the credit as being resourceful enough to make it through the hard times.

Suddenly, this story became so very powerful to me, because it wasn't just about Peter escaping from prison, but it was an intimate look at how I actually view my relationship with God.  It revealed to me how very likely I would be the one saying, "Rhoda, you're crazy!  It must be an angel, because there's no way it's Peter!"  I so often struggle with the thought that God regularly accomplishes the impossible or even the unlikely.  I can trust in Him for my eternal salvation, but I am hesitant to believe He has a grasp on this day.

I have a great God.  He has conquered my sins, covered them with His righteousness, and longs for my entrance into His Eternal Home.  But He wasn't done with me when He secured my eternity.  How easily I forget that.  He has a daily plan for me.  One that involves regular interference.  Most of which I probably do not ever acknowledge or recognize.

Jesus isn't just a God of the eternal, but He is Lord over this day!  His power is accessible today, but we so often act like we won't see it until eternity.  If we welcome Him as the God who cares about today, we will see the power of the God that was able to conquer not only death, but the life we face today.