Acts 5:12–26
Be still: Lord help me cut out the distractions of the world to encounter to you in your Word. Amen
Read: Acts 5:12–26
They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. ‘Go, stand in the temple courts,’ he said, ‘and tell the people all about this new life.’ (vv18–20)
Encounter: I’m not a huge football fan, but I did watch some of the World Cup, and I spent more time thinking about how exhausting it must have been to play in the humidity and heat of the Americas than I did watching the games.
It got me thinking: spectators and participants have very different experiences of the game. Never once did someone two-foot tackle me while I watched, and although I sweated a bit during the heat wave, I didn't need the 'hydration breaks' nearly as much as the players.
Christianity is not a spectator sport. We are not meant to be fans in the stands, but players on the pitch.
In Acts 5, the apostles were playing their part, and there are a few lessons we can learn from them as we play ours.
1: Expect opposition when positioned. The apostles’ obedience landed them in prison. When we face opposition, we can be tempted to despair, doubt God’s goodness, or wonder what we have done wrong. This passage reminds us that we can be in the very centre of God’s will and still encounter resistance (in fact, very likely!)
2: Expect provision when opposed. While the apostles are imprisoned, an angel of the Lord opens the doors and brings them out. God is not hindered by locked doors. He is the way-maker, and no obstacle is beyond his power. Sometimes he provides by opening doors; other times by strengthening us to endure.
3: Expect instruction with provision. Their rescue came with purpose: 'Tell the people all about this new life.' God’s provision was not only for their comfort; it was for his kingdom. When God makes a way, there is always a why. He frees us so that we can keep sharing, serving and playing our part in his kingdom.
Apply: Ask God to help you be a 'player on the pitch' today, and to strengthen you in the face of opposition.
Devote: Lord, thank you for the invitation to play a part in the kingdom. Guide me and provide all that I need to do that.