Surprise!

Suggested Readings To Read Through The Bible In A Year

Thursday    February 11, 2010   Acts 10-12 and Proverbs 9

During the course of Jesus’ ministry throughout Judea and Galilee he often taught on the subject of faith. It was Jesus who said things like, “if you can believe all things are possible”, “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can say to this mountain be removed” . . . over and over again Jesus performed miracles for people who displayed their faith in him (like the woman who had been hemorrhaging for 13 years but believed that if she could just touch the hem of his garments she would be healed, . . . like the Gentile woman that he called a dog when she asked him to set her child free from the demon . . . like the Roman soldier who asked that he merely send the word to heal his servant . . . in each of these incidents Jesus said words to the effect that you have received what you asked for because of your faith). There have been books written and sermons preached that declare that getting miracles in your life is dependent on your faith . . . if you have enough faith God will make you healthy, wealthy and wise!

In contrast to great miracles taking place because of great faith, we read today of a great miracle that takes place when people pray without faith. Acts 12 tells us about a prayer meeting where the people were praying earnestly, but they were not expecting God to answer their prayer.

I wonder if God was laughing when the Apostle Peter was knocking on the door of Mary, the mother of John Mark, . . . Rhoda goes to the door and asks,”who is it?” “It is Simon Peter, can I come in?” She flips out with joy and runs back to the prayer meeting exclaiming “Peter is at the door, Peter is at the door!” Those people of faith and power said to Rhoda, you are out of your mind! You are hallucinating – you are seeing ghosts . . . in fact, that must be it – Herod must have killed him too, and his ghost has come to tell us . . .

It is hard for me to figure out why Rhoda didn’t just go back and open the door to prove what she was saying – but somehow their unbelief must have so influenced her that she was embarrassed to the point that she quit trying to persuade them that God had answered their prayer. But Peter kept knocking. When they finally opened the door . . . I wonder if God wanted to shout out SURPRISE!????

God is faithful even when we are faithless. Answers to prayer depend on our great God and not on our great faith. So, pray about everything – even the things that you aren’t sure that God can or will do. . . . just pray and leave the rest to God . . . who knows, you may be surprised!

Suggested Readings To Read Through The Bible In A Year

Friday      February 12, 2010   Acts 13-15 and Proverbs 10:1-16

Saturday  February 13, 2010   Acts 16-18 and Proverbs 10:17-32

Sunday    February 14, 2010   Acts 19-21 and Proverbs 11:1-15

Monday   February 15, 2010   Acts 22-24 and Proverbs 11:16-31

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