This morning's study

My wife and I were studying in Acts 12 this morning and I wanted to share a few blessings that we were shown.

When Herod captured Peter and put him in prison, he appointed four squads of soldiers to watch over him. Now I don't know exactly how many are in a squad, but I imagine it's a few. And likewise, in the cell, he had a guard on each side of him, he was in chains, behind a locked door, with guards watching the door from the other side.

I'm thinking that Herod must have been worried about something to have that many soldiers guarding one man. Did he hear rumors of this strange power that these followers of that man called Jesus had, or maybe he was fearful of a mob revolt by some wayward Gentiles. Who knows.

So, here's Peter, in a dark, oppressive prison cell. Isn't our sin like that sometimes? Held captive in a dark situation where there seems that no hope will come. I think it's at those times when God knows you are out of options, when you can't figure a way to escape by yourself, that amazing miracles happen.

Was Peter weeping and fretting about his future? Peter was asleep! The angel of the Lord had to hit him to wake him up, for heaven's sake. I'm sorry, I can't say I'm there yet. Peter reminds me of Abraham taking his son up the mountain to sacrifice him. Like Abraham, Peter didn't know what was going to happen in the morning, but it really didn't matter. That's faith in the midst of your circumstances.

I also noticed that in verse 7, the angel shone a light into the cell. I would think that angels don't need lights to get around, so it must have been to guide Peter's way. That is so cool that God brings it down to our level and shows us the path to follow. It's interesting that the guards were not disturbed by the light. I mean, if I'm lying in bed asleep and someone shines a light in my face, I guarantee you, I'm going to wake up. Do you think God made it so the guards could not see the light?

Where the light shines, The chains will fall.