Have you ever felt doomed? Have you felt as though you were about to be sentenced to a punishment you didn’t deserve? Are you in a situation like that now? Are you asking God to step in and pull you through it?
There are times when we may be persecuted for our faith. That may come in the form of punishment for failing to conform to this world. When we are standing up for God, we can be sure He will provide for our needs, regardless of the situation.
We see in today’s passage that Peter is wrongfully imprisoned. King Herod intended to punish him for both preaching about Jesus and healing a lame man. The king saw that it pleased the Jewish leadership. Peter is being persecuted solely due to his faith in Jesus. However, an angel is sent to set him free from the jail in which he is being held.
I know, we are largely skeptical that angels are active in today’s world. We no longer believe in the supernatural. We have stopped relying on God to step in on our behalf. Our belief, faith, and trust in God has waned. This despite hearing stories of people who have experienced a supernatural event, whether a vision or miraculous healing the doctors cannot explain.
Others will argue that Peter was specifically chosen by Jesus. He was an apostle. He was one of Jesus’ close compadres. We are not in Peter’s shoes. We are not chosen as he was chosen. Not so fast my friend. Each one of us is chosen. God’s mighty works are not limited today any more than they were limited when Peter needed God’s help.
The most significant difference between Peter and us is our faith. Peter believed wholeheartedly in Jesus. He was willing to give his life, and later did, to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the vast majority of us are not committed to Jesus in the same way. We are unwilling to buck the tide of today’s world. We won’t publicly proclaim Jesus’ name or praise God. Oh, we think we are when we tell people we go to church. But going to church is not out in the public. It occurs behind four walls and is relatively isolated.
Folks, if we want to see God do mighty things, we must be fully committed and willing to talk about Him wherever we are. We are not to be rude about it, but we need to show people we belong to Jesus. There should be no question by anyone we meet about our faith. Peter was like this, and he experienced God’s miracles.
I pray we all commit wholeheartedly to Jesus. I pray we are willing to show our faith publicly. I pray each one of us build our faith to be like Peter’s, after all he was human. Commit to Jesus. Be willing to tell others about Him. Build your faith. Trust God at all times. Trust God in all situations.
Acts 12:6-7 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
Marty Pressey 