8 OCT 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional
“Peter finally came to his senses. ‘It’s really true!’ he said. The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” Acts 12: 11
Have you ever wondered why God saves some and lets others die or perish? In all of the readings today you see an attribute of God play out that is always there in Scripture but shocks us if we are honest. God’s sovereignty and power are on full display from the beginning of Scripture until the end. God is the only being with complete autonomous free will and chooses to do things or not to do things to fulfill his plans and desires.
God healed a dying king and extended his life by fifteen years, blessing the man and glorifying Himself. We don’t have a problem with that. We give God a hearty thumbs up and a good job. Then we see in the book of Acts, Steven is stoned to death, Paul is spared, saved, and given an extraordinary ministry. We scratch our heads a bit and maybe start to fuss about God being fair.
God doesn’t explain himself either, nor does he have to.
James the brother of John is put to death by Herod and Peter imprisoned, but then set free from jail and possible death. Why? Jesus in Luke’s passage, passes by sick people to raise a boy who is about to be buried. Why? The bottom line is that God is not like us. His ways are not our ways and He does as He pleases and has plans that weave from the beginning of creation to the end of time as we know it.
It is a wonder that he spares any of us and chooses to bring some into everlasting life. According to His law and judgment, none of us are worthy, but He chooses to show mercy and grace to those He wishes. For those who are being saved, the message is the power of God to deliver us into His presence when we die. What about everyone else? We pray and share the good news and leave them in the hands of God where mercy and grace are vast.
Do you struggle with the way God does things?
Reading Plan: Psalm 118; 2 Kings 20:1-21; Acts 12:1-17; Luke 7:11-17
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