September 4

" P eter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers: and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands."

Acts 12:5-7

God is better than our faith. While it is true that He has said He will do for us “according to your faith,” nevertheless He is not restricted in the exercise of His lovingkindness by our failure to lay hold on His promises. The church in Jerusalem prayed for Peter’s deliverance, but they had a very faulty understanding both of God’s power and His readiness to hear and answer. At best perhaps, they hoped grace might be given the apostle to endure a long imprisonment with eventual deliverance, or to triumph in the hour of death. But while they prayed God answered and did exceeding abundantly above their asking or thinking. And so it often is today. Our faith at best is a poor feeble thing. His grace is an all-sufficient dynamic energy that refuses to be restrained by the feebleness of our understanding or the poverty of our expectation.

There is an eye that never sleeps beneath the wing of night;

There is an ear that never shuts when sink the beams of light.

There is an arm that never tires when human strength gives way;

There is a love that never fails, when earthly loves decay.

But there’s a power which man can wield when mortal aid is vain.

That eye, that arm, that love to reach, that listening ear to gain.

That power is prayer, which soars on high through Jesus to the throne;

And moves the Hand which moves the world, to bring salvation down.