Today's encouragement comes from Acts 12:7a & 23a, where we read these words:
"Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by [Peter], and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side . . . Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck [Herod], because he did not give glory to God."God does not deal with people in the same way—though He may use the ex-act same agency (viz. "striking"). Here, the angel "strikes" Peter, so that he (Peter) would wake up and be released from prison. A little while later—in the same chapter—the angel "strikes" Herod, and kills him. . . .
Also, in this very same 12th chapter of Acts, we find God allowing the Apostle James to die at Herod's hand (v. 2); while He (the Lord) delivers Peter from Herod's grip (v. 7). What is the point? That God is sovereign; He does what He does for a reason. He is always righteous; and He loves His church—whether He allows His people to suffer, or to prosper.
[Puritan quote of the day: "For every believer, the debt-book is crossed out; the black lines of sin are crossed out with the red lines of Christ's blood.”
—Thomas Watson, in his sermon, "God's Anatomy upon Man's Heart"]
