JAILBREAK
Acts 12:4-10 NKJV
4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
Happy Valentine’s Day! If you are a man listening to or reading this devotional, you still have time to do what you need to do. You have been warned. You’re welcome!
In our verses for today, King Herod has arrested Peter. James, the brother of the apostle John, has already been killed, and Herod, wanting to further please the Jews, is about to kill Peter. Someone must have told Herod that the apostles were known for getting out of jail because Peter was guarded by four squads of soldiers. Sixteen soldiers were guarding one man.
The night that Peter was facing death, he was sleeping. The church was praying, but Peter was sleeping. I am speculating here, but it appears that Peter is either not afraid of dying, or Peter believes that it is not his time to die. Jesus did tell Peter that when he was old, they would carry him where he did not want to go. Historians believe that Peter was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to be crucified the same way Jesus had been. But in any case, the church is praying all night, and Peter, despite two chains and guards on either side, is sleeping away.
Looking at Peter’s situation from a purely logical position, there was no way that he was getting out of prison. With sixteen Roman soldiers guarding him and being kept in what looks to be the deepest part of the prison, Peter getting out was impossible. But not to God. God sent an angel who had to wake Peter up. The chains fell off, and he and the angel walked out past sixteen guards. What is even more amazing is that the guards never saw Peter. It wasn’t until the next day that the guards realized Peter was gone. Herod did question these guards, and even though their stories had to be congruent, all of them were sentenced to death. Bad day to be a guard.
When Peter and the angel came to the iron gate that led to the city, the gate opened by itself. We marvel at that, but I am sure God was not challenged by an iron gate. We are talking about the God that created the planets and the stars; gates are no problem. When Peter went to where the church was gathered praying, they did not believe that he was out of prison. They were praying, but I am not convinced they were expecting much. Herod lost out, and Peter lived to preach another day.
APPLICATION
I am glad this story was recorded for us. It is another reminder that the things that look impossible to man are possible with God. Chains and guards could not hold Peter. And the things that seem to bind you or continually cause you problems are not too much for our great God. Stories like these help us to raise our expectations that, as Jesus said to a man facing a difficult problem, “all things are possible to him that believes.”
PRAYER
Lord, where I have limited You, help me raise my expectations of what You can do in my life. All things are possible with You, and I believe that!