Waiting for a miracle

Pastor James Avery

There he sat in a cold stone cell. Nothing to do but look back at his life and the events that led him to this time and this place. It seemed like only yesterday that he was on top of the world, experiencing the unbelievable, and witnessing miracle after miracle. Those memories, as fresh as they were, quickly fading as Peter once again contemplated his current situation. There were so many highs: the feeding of the multitude, the brief step out of the boat into the Saviour’s waiting arms, the miracles done in Jesus’ name, but there were also the lows: his denial of the Saviour, his inability to completely trust, and his broken promises. Peter often spoke without thinking. Whatever was on his mind, he just blurted it out. Time after time, it got Peter, and also his friends, into sticky places. However, each time Peter found himself slipping and falling, God was there to rescue him. God was there to help him pick up the broken pieces and become whole again. God was there to gently restore him. Was this time any different? “Where was God when Herod had John’s brother James put to death?”, Peter thought, “And for that matter, where is God when I am sitting here in this prison?” Peter’s attention was drawn back when the guards changed shifts. From the time of his arrest onward, there had consistently been four guards to watch over him. Two of the sentries guarded the door to his cell and the other two sat on either side of him, ensuring he could not escape the chains that held him captive. Peter overheard a conversation between the soldiers camped in front of the door to his cell. “Looks like we get a new assignment tomorrow!” one of the soldiers quipped. “Herod sent the orders to execute this one in the morning.” Peter winced as he had to come to terms with the inevitable. Death was at his doorstep. The following is an excerpt from Act 12:6-11. “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. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 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.” Even though Peter was in prison, facing the impossible, God had not given up on him. God sent his angels to protect and deliver Peter from his plight. Each one of us face our own prison - whether it is alcohol, drugs, lies, money, worry or anything else. Often we get so wrapped up in our problems we feel helpless. Hope is a word that is distant, despite our longings. It is at these desperate times and in all other times that God comes to us. Scripture tells that God has over 72,000 angels (12 legions) at His disposal, who are longing to do His will. There are several instances where these angels are deployed to bring good news of hope, joy and peace to the earth. They are also deployed to protect God’s children and His creation. Whatever your prison, God is searching for you and calling you to Him. In addition to sending His angels, God sent His only Son to this world so we might all be free from the bondage of sin that keeps us from experiencing and knowing the love that He has for us. May you both know and experience God’s grace, as you are assured that He cares for you, and that there is no place that is too dark, or too hard for Him to penetrate. God came to this dark world to be a light for all who believe.