Prison Break

Today's "Adventures in Acts" (feels like it should be a syndicated radio program) was from chapter 12, Peter's miraculous escape from prison. James of the Peter, James, and John trilogy had just been beheaded, bringing joy to the Jews, so Herod thought he'd try to keep going with the popular crowd, and arrested Peter, too. He put him in prison and had 16 guards watch him, in rotations of four.

A few key points that came up in this story:

1.) "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him."

Intercessors, on their knees, holding onto hope when all hope seemed lost. The odds were stacked against Peter. Considering the number of barriers between the apostle and freedom (16 guards, Peter shackled to two guards, a prison guarded by sentries, the iron gate of the city...), that little tiny flame of hope seemed dim, but the church focused on it anyway. AGAINST all odds, they prayed, and prayed and prayed and prayed.

2.) "The night before Herod was to bring him to trial..."

Sometimes, God doesn't answer our prayers immediately. I wonder how many of those intercessors felt like they'd prayed their last prayer for Peter's deliverance. The Lord isn't answering; I'll consign him to the grace of God and see him in heaven. My prayers aren't getting past the ceiling. My faith must not be strong enough; the mountain isn't moving. I've been praying for Herod to change his mind, but he's stubbornly resisting the Lord.

What if God works in a different way from the one we expect? Does that ever happen?

An immediate answer comes to mind: Jonah 4:11: "But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" - This AFTER the Lord promised first to destroy the city, and then the people humbled themselves before the Lord and repented.

On the other end, Genesis 18:32b: "He answered, 'For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.' And then 19:24: "Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah - from the Lord out of the heavens." Here, Abraham EXPECTED God to save the city (surely there were 10 righteous people), but the Lord did not.

Expect the unexpected. Ever watched a squirrel gathering food in your backyard? They are the jumpiest creatures I've ever seen; they are constantly aware of the unexpected. They never take their security for granted.

3.) "He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. 'Quick, get up!' he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists."

Sometimes the Lord uses a still, small voice to speak to us, and sometimes, it takes a little bit of a wallop to get our eyes open and rouse us out of our sleep. The Lord will always remove the things that hold us back if we intend to follow Him. Sometimes, we might be tempted to roll over, fall back asleep; sleep has a powerful pull on us. But if we are set and ready for action - I should say: ready to truly pursue the heart of God, the Lord will never block the way. He did harden Pharoah's heart, many times over, but Pharoah wasn't truly seeking the heart of God.

4.) "'Peter is at the door!' 'You're out of your mind,' they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, 'It must be his angel.' But Peter kept on knocking and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished."

I am soooo guilty of this. I pray, interceding for the things the Lord gives me to pray for. I ask for miraculous intervention; I get on my knees and plead with the Lord to do His work, to make His plan succeed. I pray with fervor and sincerity... and then when the Lord answers, I'm like... nah, that must be a coincidence. That can't be true. Or another reaction, I am shocked. Like... I prayed for this, but... God answered it?! No. Way.

When will we stop being shocked that God moves in response to the prayers of His people?!

In praying for our nation and our leaders this morning, I saw an enormous stage or platform. All around the stage, the walls and the ceiling were moving, like a big kaleidoscope. If I watched it too long, I got dizzy. The stage itself stayed still. It reminded me of one of those glider rockers where the base stays still, but the seat rocks back and forth on its bearings. The stage was the same: it stayed still, but everything around it moved in upheaval and chaos.

I think the Lord was showing me that the platform, the stage, is the same thing as other pictures I've seen: the Rock to which we cling, the same thing as the hand of God into which we fall during the shaking, the same thing as the port in the storm. The stage is for the church, the ones who are truly seeking God.

The picture came in the context of praying for our political leadership, and I think the Lord was reminding me that the port in the storm is not who gets elected in November. Our hope is not in political leadership at all, though God sometimes uses leadership to accomplish His plans. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God" (Psalm 20:7). It is God and God alone where we have our anchor.

I was thankful for this reminder that Jesus is the King above all kings, and the Lord of all lords, and my hope is in Him, no matter who is in leadership or what platform they stand on.