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Today's Little Lift

    by Jim Bullington

They Were Astonished (Acts 12:16)
Date Posted: November 9, 2020

I heard about a special prayer meeting that was called at a particular church. Specifically the members of the small country congregation were called together to pray for rain in view of the severe drought that had besieged the farming community. An atheist that lived nearby stopped one of the members as she was walking back to her house. As they chatted, the “believer” proudly announced that she was returning home after a specially called meeting to pray for rain. The atheist, having an analytical mind, remarked, “Well, I guess that is all well and good, but I am puzzled as to why you don’t have your umbrella with you!” Somewhere in this story, there is a valuable lesson. Consider the following story.

“And when Peter had come to himself [after being miraculously released from prison], he said, ‘Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.’ So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, ‘You are beside yourself!’ Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, ‘It is his angel.’ Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” (Acts 12.11-16).

The church was under attack from every side. James had just been beheaded by Herod and the favor that it gained him with the Jews caused him to seek the blood of other martyrs. Peter was Herod’s next victim of choice; only Divine intervention prevented Herod from carrying out his plan. It is most unlikely that the church that was assembled at Mary’s house had any business more pressing than to pray about the tragedy that had befallen James and to beseech God that Peter might be delivered from the same fate. If this be true, get the picture! Here they were hidden safely away in a private residence, praying for Peter’s deliverance. Suddenly a knock comes at the door and Rhoda goes to see who is there. Recognizing Peter’s voice, she runs excitedly to tell the others what was going on. Meanwhile, the folks inside the house continued praying. Rhoda interrupts their petitions to tell them the good news: “Peter is here!” Yet, they do not believe her; literally they told her that she was mad or deranged! All the while in the background the knocking continues at the door. She pleads, they deny, the knocking continues!

Finally, they go to the door and to their surprise, look who is standing there! None other than Peter himself, the man for whom they had been praying was right before their eyes. The biblical text specifically states, “They were astonished.” The word astonished appears in about a dozen and a half verses in the New Testament and it is usually associated with a miraculous event. However, in this case the miracle was just that for which they had been praying! Question: Why should the believers in Mary’s house be astonished to see Peter when they had been praying for his deliverance? Answer: For the same reason that the lady mentioned in the opening paragraph did not have her umbrella with her!

Edgar Guest’s famous poem begins with the line, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day.” It is amazing how easy it is for us to understand what he is talking about. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a godly example must be worth a billion words. Here is a simple test that each of us can take every day of our lives; the result will make us better people. Here it is: At the end of the day, simply ask, “Have I lived today in a manner that is consistent with my prayers?” Don’t be astonished!

Questions:

1. During the ministry of Jesus, a time when miracles were commonplace, why do you think people were astonished when they witnessed a miraculous event?

2. Why did Rhoda not let Peter in immediately when she recognized his voice?

3. What phrase describes what Peter was doing while Rhoda was trying to convince the other people that he was outside?

4. What do you think would happen if all who profess belief in Jesus would live each day in a manner that is consistent with their prayers?

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

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Biography Information:
Jim Bullington - A Christian writer whose insight into the scriptures is reflected in practical application lessons in every article. The reader will find that the Bible speaks directly to him/her through these articles. God is always exalted and His word is treated with the utmost respect in this column.
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