the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 4 of 5
Acts 5:33-42
After His angel, God uses an eminent Pharisee (the opposing sect to the Sadducees), named Gamaliel, to deliver His servants. He was a doctor who was well known and respected amongst the Jews. With restraint, using examples which they all knew, he exhorts his colleagues to patience. The end would show whether this work were of men or whether it were of God. Besides it is never difficult to see on which side people belong who boast themselves to be somebody (v. 36). But it was not so with the apostles. In recognizing that of themselves they were nothing, they were giving all the glory to the name of the Lord Jesus, whom they never ceased to preach (Acts 3:12; Acts 4:10).
The Lord had already warned His disciples that people would lay hands on them, that they would be persecuted, delivered up to the synagogues and into prisons (Luk 21:52). Indeed these trials were not long in happening to them (Luke 5:17-22) and since then, these things have not ceased to be the lot of believers.
We often thank the Lord for sparing us the persecutions which are prevalent in other countries. But let us not forget that to suffer for His name is an honour. The apostles rejoice to have been counted worthy of it (v. 41; cf. 1 Peter 4:19; Matthew 5:11-12).
