miraculous

Kneel Day 13 Surprising Answers

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 12:1-19
2 Kings 20:1-7
Isaiah 55:8-9
Matthew 7:7-11
James 5:13-18

Kneel, Day 13

Have you ever been surprised by an answer to prayer?

The people praying for Peter in this account from Acts certainly were!

Peter has been imprisoned for following Jesus, and as he waits for his public trial after the Passover celebration, the church is “praying fervently to God for him.” (Acts 12:5)

They are under no illusions about how the situation is likely to end for Peter. Herod Agrippa recently had the apostle James killed with a sword, and seeing the Jews’ resulting pleasure, has prompted Peter’s arrest. (Acts 12:1-2)

The church knows it is a matter of life and death, and so they pray desperately. Different translations of Acts 12:5 describe their prayers as constant, intense, earnest, persistent, continual, and without ceasing. This is prayer that is intentional and focused.

Consequently, God intervenes in a miraculous way. Awakened by an angel, Peter is told to get up. His chains fall off, the prison gates open, and the guards meant to be watching him closely seem oblivious!

The events are so unexpected that even Peter struggles to believe at first, but finally the truth sinks in.

“Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.” (Acts 12:11)

Immediately, he goes to the house where he knows the believers have gathered to pray, which leads to a rather comical scene. Rhoda, the servant girl who answers the door, is so overwhelmed and overjoyed to hear Peter’s voice that instead of letting him in she rushes to tell the others, only to be met with astonishment and unbelief!

As they argue about whether or not it could possibly be true, the answer to their prayer is standing outside the door the whole time!

Finally, they let Peter in to see for themselves and hear his story, but it raises the question: if they were praying so fervently, so passionately, so continually, why were they so surprised when their prayer was answered?

I think I’ve gained insight into this over the last six months as I, and several others, have prayed earnestly and continually for a friend’s husband who is unwell. There has been so much prayer that my friend says her husband must be the most prayed-for man in the world!

Yet, despite our many prayers, he has deteriorated. His condition has been declared inoperable and, humanly speaking, it is only a matter of time.

We continue to pray for a miracle, yet I admit I would be surprised if my friend’s husband suddenly appeared at my door cured of his illness.

I don’t doubt for a moment that God can do it. I just have no idea whether He will.

I imagine the believers praying for Peter had similar thoughts. After all, James had been killed. Would praying for Peter really make any difference?

Yet, despite their uncertainty, they prayed; this act itself evidenced their faith, imperfect as it was.

They prayed because they knew they were helpless to fix the situation; they knew it was something only God could do. While their prayers may not have been rooted in perfect faith, God heard, and He answered.

As James writes, “The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” (James 5:16)

The difficulty we often have with prayer is that it’s unpredictable. It doesn’t work according to a formula. It’s not about how much we pray or trying to find the magic phrase or perfect combination of words to unlock the miracle or the answer we seek.

In fact, it’s not about the quality of our prayers at all; it’s about the One to whom we are praying.

If our prayers are answered as we hope, as in Peter’s situation or when God healed Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-7), we rejoice and give thanks to God. Only He can do the impossible, and there is no credit we can take. The glory is His!

When our prayers are not answered as we hope, it doesn’t mean our prayers were lacking in flawless faith or that God doesn’t care. It doesn’t even mean our prayers are unanswered, simply that God’s purpose is different.

“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.’ This is the Lord’s declaration.” (Isaiah 55:8)

We can’t always understand God’s ways, but we can trust in His goodness. My friend’s husband may not be healed on earth, but we know that, because of his faith in Jesus, an eternal future awaits him, free from pain and suffering. In the meantime, we continue to pray.

Jesus urged His disciples to persistently keep on praying and trusting God’s character as a loving Father who longs to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7) Likewise, He invites us to partner with Him in His work, bringing our situations before Him with faith and confidence, trusting in His power and love, and confidently knowing He loves to hear and answer us.

Sometimes, as with those believers praying for Peter, the answers to our prayers can be even more amazing than we would ever have expected!

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Fruitful Day 12 Cultivating Faithfulness: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) Why would the Israelites prefer to die or return to the land of their captivity rather than venture into the Promised Land? (verse 4)

2) Why were Joshua and Caleb so eager to go into the Promised Land when everyone else was so fearful? (verses 6-9)

3) Why did the glory of the Lord appear at the tent of meeting when the Israelites threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb? (verse 10)

Numbers 14:1-10

Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. 2 All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron, and the whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell face down in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite community, “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. 9 Only don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!” 10 While the whole community threatened to stone them, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.

Original Intent

1) Why would the Israelites prefer to die or return to the land of their captivity rather than venture into the Promised Land? (verse 4)
The Israelites’ journey from slavery in Egypt into the freedom of the Promised Land highlights God‘s faithfulness at every turn. The Lord empowered Moses to demand Pharaoh’s release of Israel (Exodus 5:1), God parted the Red Sea so they could cross over safely when the Egyptians pursued them (Exodus 14:21), He sent food from heaven in the desert (Exodus 16), and ensured their shoes didn’t wear out (Deuteronomy 29:5). God provided in many miraculous ways; He faithfully kept His covenant with Israel to protect and treasure them if they obeyed Him. (Exodus 19:5) Even with such a rich history of provision and protection by God, the Israelites despaired when they heard the intimidating report of Canaan. They preferred to return to a life of bondage rather than trust God to defeat their enemies in the Promised Land. According to author David Guzik, “This was pure rebellion. They said they didn’t want God’s plan, God’s leaders, or God’s land. They believed they knew better than God.” The pride and rebellion of the Israelites caused them to see God’s blessing as a curse and despise the gift God promised them. To modern readers, their lack of faith and gratitude seem outrageous, but may we also be guilty of the same? Any time we refuse to embrace what God has for us because it seems too difficult or too painful, we are committing the same sin of rebellion as the Israelites when they refused the Promised Land. We can be thankful God is merciful and forgiving, and we can ask Him for grace to follow His plans, trusting in His steadfast love and unwavering faithfulness to help us obey Him.

2) Why were Joshua and Caleb so eager to go into the Promised Land when everyone else was so fearful? (verses 6-9)
In Numbers 14:1-10, the Israelites are bemoaning their fate because the long-awaited Promised Land of Canaan is filled with formidable foes they are afraid to face. Only Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb want to enter and claim the land as God commanded. Joshua and Caleb had spied out the land and were eager to lay claim to God’s promise. They had faith in God, believing that He would give the Israelites the land He had promised them. If God promised it, then it would happen, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the promise. Author G. Campbell Morgan notes that Joshua and Caleb “had clear apprehension of the goodness of the land; they were by no means blind to the formidable nature of the difficulties that stood between them and possession. But they saw God. They started with that vision, and saw everything else in its light.” Where the other spies saw the strength and number of the land’s inhabitants, Joshua and Caleb saw the land flowing with milk and honey, just as God promised. If the promise of an excellent land had proved true, so would His promise to give them the land also be true and trustworthy. Joshua and Caleb’s belief in God’s faithfulness was stronger than any fear caused by the strength and number of their adversaries. May we also see God first and view everything else through that lens, just as Joshua and Caleb did.

3) Why did the glory of the Lord appear at the tent of meeting when the Israelites threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb? (verse 10)
When the Israelites reached the Promised Land they were dismayed to find its inhabitants were numerous and strong. They began blaming God for their miserable circumstances, even declaring that returning to slavery would be better than dying in battle. After hearing their incessant complaints, God had heard enough from the rebellious Israelites and decided to act. Numbers 14:10 tells us, “The glory of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.” The glory of the Lord had appeared to the congregation before as a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire to guide them through the wilderness. (Exodus 13:21) It was a visible reminder of God’s presence and activity. At this particular display of glory, God intended to dispel their whining and rebellion and reward those who believed in His Word and in His power. He stepped in just as the Israelites prepared to kill Joshua and Caleb. Author Joseph Benson points out, “When they reflected upon God, His glory appeared, not to silence their blasphemies: but when they threatened Caleb and Joshua, they touched the apple of His eye, and His glory appeared immediately. Those who faithfully expose themselves for God are sure of His special protection.” Israel’s rebellion ran so deep, God knew they wouldn’t choose faith over their fears. (Numbers 14:11) Moses interceded for Israel, God honored his prayers and decreed that from the nation, only Caleb and Joshua would be permitted to enter the Promised Land one day. (Numbers 14:30) God’s glory came down so His faithful servants would be spared and rewarded for their trust in Him, while also bringing consequence on Israel’s rebellion.

Everyday Application

1) Why would the Israelites prefer to die or return to the land of their captivity rather than venture into the Promised Land? (verse 4)
Have you ever seen a little kid so excited to go swimming but also too frightened to jump in the water? She knows Dad is right there to catch her. She knows all the other kids are splashing around in the water with no problems. Everything indicates it’s safe and enjoyable, but she just can’t overcome her fears and take the plunge. The Israelites in the Bible were a bit like this. They had longed to enter the Promised Land of Canaan for many years, but when they finally got there, after years of captivity in a foreign land, they were too scared of the inhabitants to lay claim to the land God promised them. When it came to choosing between fearing what they saw with their eyes or trusting the Unseen God, they chose their fears. The Lord promised to be with them and give them the land, but they chose to believe the fearful tales and not the covenant of their faithful God. Sometimes staying inside the pain we know is more comfortable than the unknown pain we are sure to endure on the way to our own Promised Land. This debilitating fear is why we stay in jobs and situations we don’t like, or sometimes even in relationships that are damaging. We fear the enormity of changes we would need to make, the unknowns of potential outcomes, and the pain we may encounter along the way. But God wants us to focus on His faithfulness and not our fears in every situation. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18) He wants us to trust Him, even when our circumstances inspire fear. (Philippians 4:4-7) Isaiah 12:2 tells us, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.” God promises to be our salvation and our strength in our tough times. The path will sometimes be frightening and difficult, but He will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:8) When we choose to surrender our lives to God, trusting Him for our rescue from sin, He promises to never leave or forsake us; we will never be alone!

2) Why were Joshua and Caleb so eager to go into the Promised Land when everyone else was so fearful? (verses 6-9)
In elementary school, my class learned a dance routine to a rock song for P.E. class, but my parents disapproved of the lyrics. So, I sat in the nurse’s office during P.E. for a month while my classmates rocked out in the gym. Missing my favorite class was bad enough, but dealing with my classmates’ teasing was awful. I didn’t make things worse by trying to explain my parents’ position. Instead, I played the martyr and became the poor kid with the kooky parents who hated rock n’ roll. I couldn’t imagine trying to defend my family’s moral objections to the song lyrics. Knowing how hard it is to go against the crowd helps my perspective on Joshua and Caleb’s plight. In verses 6-9, the two men stand firmly against the entire nation of Israel who didn’t want to enter Canaan. Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes, indicating their intense distress at the peoples’ distrust in God and disbelief in His promises. This wasn’t about their feelings of being “outcasts”, but about Israel’s heart-rejection of the God who had proven Himself faithful. They pleadingly reminded the people of God’s constant presence and ability to protect them and defeat their enemies if they trusted Him. Joshua and Caleb were full of faith in God’s faithfulness. The people, however, were not inspired by the exhortation from Joshua and Caleb. In fact, they were so angry with their unpopular message they picked up rocks to stone them! Only God’s intervention kept the two men safe. Forty years later, after most of the crowd got their wish and died before entering the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb were found faithful and allowed to enter Canaan (Numbers 14:30) and enjoy God’s gift. May the Lord help us all to be as faithful and trusting as Joshua and Caleb!

3) Why did the glory of the Lord appear at the tent of meeting when the Israelites threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb? (verse 10)
There are many references to glory in church literature and Scripture. Sometimes glory means God’s presence (Exodus 24:16), a reference to Heaven (Psalm 73:24), or any place where God resides (1 Peter 5:10). It can also be used to mean radiant, divine beauty (Isaiah 6:3), or sometimes praise and adoration to God (Revelation 14:7). When God’s glory appeared to the Israelites in verse 10, glory references God’s presence. Here the glory of the Lord “refers to the reality of the LORD’s presence in a manifestation of his power and splendor. It showed to all that God was a living God. The appearance of the glory indicated blessing for the obedient, but disaster for the disobedient” (Preceptaustin.org) When God’s glory came to the Israelites, not only did God save Joshua and Caleb, but He allowed Moses to act on behalf of the shameful Israelites by interceding for them through prayer. Because of Moses’ prayer, God saved Israel from sudden destruction. They still received the punishment of never entering the Promised Land, but they experienced the power and mercy of being visited by God’s glory. It is awe-inspiring to think the Holy Perfect God would visit His people with His glory, yet the Scriptures are filled with such visits from the Lord. When God revealed Himself just in time to save Joshua and Caleb from being stoned to death by the angry mob of Israelites, He showed Himself to be Omnipotent (all-powerful) and Merciful. When God’s glory arrives, nothing remains the same. Nahum 1:5 tells us, “The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all who live in it.” We want to invite God’s presence to shake and shape our lives as we glorify His Name and seek to obey His commands through whole-life surrender.

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Open Day 6 The Unconventional Open

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Mark 2:1-12
Colossians 1:15-20
Isaiah 44:21-23

Open, Day 6

Home.
You walk in the front door, kick off your shoes, and there they are. The same walls, the familiar terrain of pictures and wall decor, couch and chair placement, family table for dinners, and the counter space for preparing meals.

Home. Regardless of how its decorated, the name brands marking the furniture, or the number of crystal pieces in the cupboard, it’s home.

As unremarkable as it may seem, here lies the hallowed place of potential. It’s in the ho-hum of sour laundry, endless dishes, carpets needing vacuumed, and colored-on walls that the Lord can turn the mundane into the miraculous.

Jesus was home.
Though He spent a good deal of His life moving about like an itinerant preacher, He had a place in Capernaum. Whether the house where He stayed was actually His own home or it was Peter’s, isn’t as important as what He did with His space. Here was His bed, His kitchen, His low table for meals, perhaps a carpentry shop outside for income to care for His mother; regardless of its appearance, this was His home.

His fame was growing and He was attracting increasingly more attention. Most wanted His blessing, His healing, or His provision. Some, deeply offended by Him, wanted His death, but His message remained the same to all, humanity is separate from God because of sin. Repent and surrender to Him, for the Kingdom of God is near. (Matthew 4:17)

Wherever Jesus walked, visited, or raised His voice to teach, crowds followed. He had just spent several days walking place to place, engaging people, healing, and preaching. He’d ended His tour in the region of the Gerasenes where He’d created a ruckus by healing two demon possessed men. Ruckus? He sent the demons into the pigs who then ran themselves headlong over a cliff, killing themselves. The result? Jesus was run out of town. (Matthew 8:34) Never mind that two men had been set free from demons!

From this, Jesus sailed back over Galilee and comes home.
Surely exhausted emotionally, spiritually, and physically in the wake of busy days filled with powerful ministry and personal attacks, Jesus makes His way from the Galilee shore through the familiar streets to His house. As He walks, word spreads. “Jesus is back!” “Jesus is back!”
It was a few stragglers at first following from a distance, maybe even a handful of children running to grasp His hands as He walked, but it grew quickly. By the time, Jesus reached home, the gathering crowd was leaning in, ready to experience Jesus.

He walked into His home, the growing crowd pressing right into His house with Him. Sandals tumbled off and body heat increased as sweat caused clothing to stick to hot bodies. Yet despite the room temperature, the smell, and the pressing tightness of human beings, Jesus’ voice rang out with compelling winsomeness as He preached truth wrapped with grace. (John 1:17) The more He preached, bringing out precious truths from the Old Testament and unveiling the fullness of the gospel, the more the crowds swelled. Windows were blocked by faces peering in and the doorway became darkened by the flood of people and crowds surrounded the exterior.

Meanwhile, word on the street kept spreading and four friends knew this was their chance. Bound together by their love for one another, they lifted their paralyzed friend and moved forward as one team. Urgently, gingerly, and with all haste, straining under the weight of their friend’s makeshift bed, they made their way through dusty streets to Jesus’ house. Grunting and squeezing their way between bodies, they knew their only option was the flat, clay roof. The four hurried up the rocky steps, weeds poking between stones, with their precious friend precariously swaying between them, all the while navigating people. Once on the roof, they began literally tearing it apart. Plaster and pebbles rained down as Jesus preached, a scattering at first and then, finally, after what seemed like hours of digging through brittle clay, a downpour of pebbles flew and the sky opened above the crowd. Stunned and silent, all eyes peered up at the 4 heads looking sheepishly down through the man-sized hole. Wordlessly, the friends lowered their friend through the opening, it was up to Jesus now.

Jesus. His home upturned by hundreds of unexpected guests, His own body exhausted, and now His roof torn open. He could have shooed everyone out, He could have seen the crowds earlier and gotten back on a boat or at minimum, He could have preached from the beach instead of His home. But He did none of those things. Instead, He moved forward with His mission to preach the good news of God who had come in the flesh to be a Forever Rescuer from sin, even if it meant….this mess.

“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus’ gentle voice held a fullness of authority balanced with tender kindness. He would set this man free from sin’s grip for this is exactly what He came to do, “seek and save those who were lost.” (Luke 19:10) Going farther, Jesus physically healed the paralytic proving His authority over all creation in both physical and spiritual realms.

What happened that day was a miracle, but it began in the middle of unspeakable mess. At every point that day, Jesus could have chosen to indulge His flesh, but He continually modeled surrender to the Father’s will, allowing a dramatic unconventional opening for the gospel to be preached and hearts to be set free.

One roof was destroyed.
One house was overrun.
One preacher man was physically spent.
But…
Countless hearts were shifted for eternity.
Millions of people have read the story of the paralytic since, and every time,
the gospel has been preached again.

My home is familiar territory to me, a safe haven of rest.
As I read this story of Jesus and His home, I’m challenged to be ready to leverage my house for kingdom work, even if it means getting plaster on my hands so others may experience Jesus.
Are you with me?!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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