LEARNING DAILY

 

Acts 12:1-4, now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

 

Does anyone have any questions about these four verses? I bet you are asking the same thing I am wondering about. Why did Herod kill James and only arrest Peter? The question must be answered from God’s providence. I do not see any other reasonable explanation. God decides (or allows) what comes in our daily path that we cannot understand. How else can the uncomfortable, the good and evil we experience be explained or understood? Perhaps you have a list of things you want to ask the Lord when you meet Him face to face; I don’t think I’m going to care when I bow before Him in heaven.

 

One of my favorite coaching stories comes from long ago. I was coaching in the smallest school in the state of Iowa and playing against the largest school in our class. The third quarter had just started when the other team’s coach did not like a referee’s call and proceeded to tell him in Jesus’ name what he thought of the call. I turned to my assistant coach and said to him, “We just won the game because the Lord will honor what we have been doing all year.” I’m sure he thought I was crazy. I’m sure he was thinking about what I said when we were behind by nine points with just under three minutes to play. We did win the game with six seconds left in the game! I know you must be wondering what this has to do with James being killed and Peter only arrested. Right!?

 

My mind is limited and I do not understand why God works the way He does. Winning and losing a game is pretty insignificant. But when God does something He uses it to bring glory to Himself. Oh, it was fun winning that game! But what God did after that was pretty amazing and He was glorified.

 

I am not sure I want to know what God is doing in my life. I am not sure I need to know. Ok, I would kind of like to know the answer to a few questions! I believe there are several things we all should learn from this. God wants us to walk with Him each day in faith and trusting He knows what is best for our lives. That comes when we truly believe “He causes everything to work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  We ask the wrong question when we ask “why”. The question we need to ask is “what do you want me to learn from what I am going through?”

 

For James to die and Peter live to further ministry is how God works with His people. Whether to live or die, you and I need to trust in Him and be obedient to walk through whatever He places in our path.