Acts 12:5-7
5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. 6 On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.
Peter was facing death due to Herod's attempts to please the Jewish leadership. Peter is already in prison - but even inside he is heavily guarded, actually chained between two guards with another set of guards outside. And yet - he sleeps. There is such trust in the Lord that he can actually fall asleep even in these dire circumstances. I love that the angel had to poke him (it actually says, struck him - a deep sleep?) to wake him up so that he could be led out of the prison. Although these believers had seen many miracles, I don't know that they could have envisioned anything like this! The intervention of God through an angel - pretty amazing. Freedom instead of death. God always has the last word.
Sometimes things look bleak and there appears to be no hope. Death may even seem certain. It could be an illness, a loss of a job, the death of a dream or the end of a relationship. That stench of death may feel like heavy chains hanging around us. I find that at times, there are chains around me - some of my own making and some from the outside. The truth is, the Lord wants to set me free from those chains - they can fall to the ground just as those chains fell from Peter's body. He holds the key, but there are times that I hold on to the chains even when they are unlocked. It is about trust - it is about fear.
We can become very comfortable in our chains - no matter how destructive they are. Freedom awaits - but we are more afraid of the unknown freedom than we are of the known heaviness of our chains. We have been accessorizing for so long that we are not sure we can do without them.
No doubt - this was an incredible miracle, but I believe that the Lord is waiting to perform that same miracle in many lives right now.
Peter was facing death due to Herod's attempts to please the Jewish leadership. Peter is already in prison - but even inside he is heavily guarded, actually chained between two guards with another set of guards outside. And yet - he sleeps. There is such trust in the Lord that he can actually fall asleep even in these dire circumstances. I love that the angel had to poke him (it actually says, struck him - a deep sleep?) to wake him up so that he could be led out of the prison. Although these believers had seen many miracles, I don't know that they could have envisioned anything like this! The intervention of God through an angel - pretty amazing. Freedom instead of death. God always has the last word.
Sometimes things look bleak and there appears to be no hope. Death may even seem certain. It could be an illness, a loss of a job, the death of a dream or the end of a relationship. That stench of death may feel like heavy chains hanging around us. I find that at times, there are chains around me - some of my own making and some from the outside. The truth is, the Lord wants to set me free from those chains - they can fall to the ground just as those chains fell from Peter's body. He holds the key, but there are times that I hold on to the chains even when they are unlocked. It is about trust - it is about fear.
We can become very comfortable in our chains - no matter how destructive they are. Freedom awaits - but we are more afraid of the unknown freedom than we are of the known heaviness of our chains. We have been accessorizing for so long that we are not sure we can do without them.
Will you risk letting those chains fall?
Will you stand up and walk out of that prison and into freedom?
No doubt - this was an incredible miracle, but I believe that the Lord is waiting to perform that same miracle in many lives right now.
What chains are binding you right now?
The One Who loves you most is waiting to set you free.
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