Our Smallness Is No Obstacle
Good morning Immanuel! God chooses weak things to shame the strong so that no one but God gets the credit. Rest in that!
“So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” (Acts 12:5)
Peter was in prison…but the church prayed to God. What an amazing juxtaposition! Herod was a powerful man, so when he killed James and arrested Peter, there was very little anyone could do to change the situation. What power could overcome the chains of a man as mighty as Herod? Conventional wisdom might answer a great army, so Peter was kept in prison, but a great army rescued him. That juxtaposition makes sense, but it wouldn’t be glorious. Luke tells us another way. When Peter was kept in prison, God was pleased to show His chain-breaking power (Acts 12:7) through the prayers of ordinary believers! These believers had no power or impressiveness compared to Herod, but in the economy of Christ, their disadvantage was the strategy! The calculus of the Kingdom is not matching power for power. The wisdom of God flows down to the lowest point! God chooses weak things to shame the strong so that no one but God gets the credit. So Luke doesn’t juxtapose mighty chains with the church's prayers because we or the prayers we offer up are impressive, but because the Risen Christ is glorious! That’s good news. Our confidence is not that we are bigger than every obstacle that comes our way. Our confidence is the Risen Christ! In Him, our smallness is no obstacle to His power!