Thursday, June 18

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015

1 Kings 19:1–21

Acts 12:1–23

Psalm 136: 1–26

Proverbs 17:14,15

 

 

After God’s great triumphs through embarrassing the prophets of Baal and bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles, Elijah and Peter might reasonably have reached the mountaintop of faith.  Immediately thereafter, however, Elijah and Peter both faced persecution, ironically both from the Jewish leaders who traced their authority to God’s sovereign choice.

 

God’s servants throughout the ages have faced persecution at the hands of earthly and spiritual principalities.  For just a few examples, please consider the stories of Moses, Jeremiah, Daniel, Stephen, Peter, and Paul.  To my mind, this reality only reinforces the veracity of the Gospel:  those who have chosen to follow God have willingly submitted to suffering and persecution for the sake of His Kingdom, to the praise of His glory.  This submission follows naturally from receiving revelation of God’s awesome power and goodness, as part of our dying daily to self and taking up our cross.

 

In these two cases, God encouraged His servants through visiting them with His presence.  The familiar story of God’s whisper to Elijah showed both God’s power and His intimacy.  In Act 12, we read about Herod’s murderous attempts to squash the growing Body of Christ.  Having killed John’s brother James, he then locked Peter into prison.  At this time, Peter had significant leadership responsibilities within the Church; his imprisonment threatened to intimidate and turn back the believers’ progress.  God led Peter by the hand from the clutches of the Roman guards, prompting a welcome surprise for the praying believers.

 

We may also receive confidence in reviewing these stories of God’s simultaneous attributes of awesome power and gentle intimacy.  When we face difficulties, we may rely on this same loving Father Who stood with Elijah and Peter.  While God sovereignly determines the timing and nature of His intervention, we may trust that He will faithfully work for the good of His people and His greater glory.

 

May we live out the exhortation and proclamation of Hebrews 10:38,39 and Revelation 12:11:

 

“And,

 

‘But my righteous one will live by faith.

    And I take no pleasure

    in the one who shrinks back.’

 

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” (Hebrews 10:38,39)

 

“They triumphed over him

    by the blood of the Lamb

    and by the word of their testimony;

they did not love their lives so much

    as to shrink from death.” (Revelation 12:11)

 

 

Father God, thank You for your awesome power and gentle intimacy.  You are wholly Other, and these two seemingly opposing characteristics do indeed dwell within you at the same time.  Thank You for bringing encouragement to those who follow You.  Build our courage for the difficulties ahead so that we may stand firmly for You.  Strengthen our faith so that we will not shrink from death, but rather embrace a life of humble submission and commitment to Your Kingdom.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

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