We want to go to Egypt on an archeological expedition. We are looking for the lost diary of Joseph. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. His dad had given him a multi-colored coat which signified that he was honored by his dad. God had told him that he would interpret dreams. He rejected the advances of Potiphar’s wife and he still ended up in jail. He did a favor for two jail-mates who then forgot him…they did not even send him a postcard.
Would it not be a profound theological find if you could find the lost diary of Joseph? What would it say? It probably would go something like this, “Dear God, what is going on? I don’t like anything that is happening to me. I understand you call this ‘granting me favor’.  Could you grant me a little less favor? By the way…I didn’t even like that coat and it didn’t fit all that good and it caused me to itch. Are you there? Are you hearing me? It has been thirteen years of misery. What is the sense of all of this? I just missed out on some of the best times of my life. Why so long? What did I do wrong? When will all this end?”
It sure would be nice to know if Joseph struggled with what happened to him. What about Daniel or Moses? Did post-pentecost Peter struggle with doubts like pre-pentecost Peter did?
These are all questions that we have struggled with recently in our own personal lives. Scripture tells me that ‘the flesh is weak, but the spirit is willing’.  We are very much aware that our flesh is weak. This would be the source of all our doubts. We know that our spirit is willing to do whatever God wants us to do. But do you ever get to the point in this life that you never struggle with doubts? This is the question that we asked God this week?
God sent His answer. The answer is found in Acts 12 and it involves the post-pentecost Peter. Pentecost is the day that Peter preached with power and 3000 were saved. It marked a change in his life from the old Peter who was weak to the new Peter who walked in power. Peter was in prison in Acts 12 awaiting execution the next day. He was sleeping and the church was praying. He was locked up with 16 Roman guards surrounding him. An angel came to him and woke him up. Peter thought he was having a vision. The angel led him through 16 guards who saw nothing and then an iron gate opened on its on. Peter was led out into the street. The angel then departed. Now notice what Acts 12: 11 in the NIV says, Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”Â
Notice some key words:Â
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now I know—not before but now after the miracle of the angel
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without a doubt—I am for certain now with no doubts meaning that he doubts before
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rescued me—I have been delivered
Let us know how to pray for you.
We love yall.
Billy and Sheilah Daws