Living in God's Will

And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. (Acts 12:2 NAS)

And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." (Acts 12:8 NAS)

Not all things in life go the way we want it. Sometimes God may want us to go through a trial, at other times, He may choose to bring you out of it.

In Acts 12:1-19, we read the passage about how Herod persecuted the Christians. In verse 2, we read about James the brother of John being put to death by the sword. Just a few verses later, we read about how Peter was miraculously saved by an angel.

Do we at times question why God allows death to come to a family, while at other times chooses to heal another? Why must James die by the sword, while Peter is saved by an angel?

We may think that the difference between the death of James and the saving of Peter is because many prayed for Peter, but none was mentioned to be praying for James. This may be true, but we all know that even with prayer, there are some who are destined to die now than later. What then is the reason that God choose to save one and not the other?

Over the last few weeks, I have been praying for my sister-in-law to be healed of brain tumor, but after the first operation, another surgery soon came, and this time it appears to be worst. In fact, she is now still in the hospital, and I am not sure how by not healing her, God will be able to lead this family to Himself. In fact, with the seemingly unanswered prayer for the first surgery, this family has sought other options to turn to other faith.

Though a little disheartened, I am not discouraged, because the Lord has shown me His grace time and again, and I believe God answers all prayers, whether it be yes, no, wait or go through it. God can choose to take one away from an ordeal, and to have another go through it. It is not for us to question why certain things happen the way it happened, for ultimately it is God's will that must prevail.

We can all take comfort from the verse Romans 8:28 that all things work together for the good of those who love God, including the people whom we are placed to be in contact. May we all therefore be sensitive to the Lord's leading in doing our part to serve Him regardless how difficult the situation may be.

Dear Lord, teach us not to complain or question why certain things happen the way it happened. Calm our souls, Lord, to be sensitive to Your leading, knowing always that You know what is best in every situation. Help us to play our part in fulfilling Your will, and lead us by Your Holy Spirit to walk every step of the way by faith in Jesus’ name. Amen.