The particular language used in a passage from Acts 12:5 struck me as something we should all take to heart.  The context of the verse is Herod had just killed James the brother of John.  He received a favorable response from the people over this execution so he grabbed Peter next.  It was the time of Passover so a trial could not take place.  Herod decided to imprison Peter until after the Passover.  To insure there would be no trouble, Herod assigned 16 guards to watch him.

Verse 5 says that “…the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”  It is the word “earnestly” that I thought was worth noting.  They didn’t just pray for him, but “earnestly” prayed for him.  That shows us the intensity, the oneness of purpose, that the church had in prayer in this matter.

We should strive to “earnestly” pray for everything that God wills for us.

As I thought about what I would write concerning these verses, it hit me.  God provided the information I was looking for that connects the morning and evening reading.  Christ, in talking about how we should show are love for him explains that “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23.  This is so clearly illustrated to us in the morning reading about King Asa.  In 2 Chronicles 15:2 Azariah went to meet Asa and had this to say:  “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin.  The LORD is with you when you are with him.  If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him he will forsake you.”

These passages are so similar.  They illustrate for us a number of things, Gods love for us, what our love for him should look like, and that we should be obedient. Obedient love is what God expect from us and his love is our reward for having a relationship with him when we “make our home with him.”

Jesus is the Word. He is eternal. He is the creator of the universe. He is the source of all life. Jesus came into His creation and was rejected by His children. Even so, through His perfect sacrifice, His chosen children are drawn to Him and through faith in Him are made right with God the Father.

Jesus appears to the disciples at a time when they were very afraid. They needed assurance and Jesus provided that by appearing to them, greeting them “Peace be with you.” and by showing them His scars to confirm that He was in fact Jesus. Jesus comes to us in our times of stress and uncertainty as we spend time with Him in prayer and through the study of His word.

When the women went to the grave they fully expected to find Jesus’ body there. Even though He told His followers that He would rise again. During times of great stress or disappointment we have to remember the promises God has made in His word even when all of our senses tell us all is lost. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”