Acts 12:6-19 CSB
When Herod was about to bring him out for trial, that very night Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. [7] Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, "Quick, get up!" And the chains fell off his wrists. [8] "Get dressed," the angel told him, "and put on your sandals." And he did. "Wrap your cloak around you," he told him, "and follow me." [9] So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what the angel did was really happening, but he thought he was seeing a vision. [10] After they passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and suddenly the angel left him. [11] When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected." [12] As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many had assembled and were praying. [13] He knocked at the door of the outer gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. [14] She recognized Peter's voice, and because of her joy, she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the outer gate. [15] "You're out of your mind!" they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true, and they said, "It's his angel." [16] Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. [17] Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. "Tell these things to James and the brothers," he said, and he left and went to another place. [18] At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. [19] After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
1 John 4:8 CSB
The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Saved by the Lord
What does it mean to have a God? This is a true question that uncovers the type of faith that we have. The best answer that I have found, if the answer can be put into words, is that God is our creator, whom we expect all good from and whom we take refuge in during times of distress. We turn to him in gratitude for his blessings and love. It is trusting and believing in our Heavenly Father with the whole heart.
When we lose hope, when we take our eyes off of our loving Father who cares for us in the distress of life, a deep crevice in our faith develops. We need to hold on to the fact that God is love, that He cares for us, and that there are reasons why things happen. Sometimes those struggles come simply because we live in a fallen world—a world that is not as God originally designed it for us. Yet, God rescues us from this brokenness and will make all things right in the end. Our small times of distress will soon be a distant memory that has passed well beyond the horizon as we have fellowship with our Lord in Heaven, in a place of pure love. God is love, and all things work out for the good of those who trust in Him.
Some miracles leave no doubt of the protection of our Father in Heaven. When King Herod arrested Peter, he was continuing a dark family legacy. This ruler was the grandson of Herod the Great—the very king who had been tricked by the wise men and sought Jesus’s death after His birth, forcing Joseph and Mary to escape to Egypt until the danger had passed. Now, this grandson planned to bring Peter to trial, but God had other plans. While Peter lay sleeping between two soldiers, with sentries standing at the door guarding the prison, an angel suddenly appeared, and a bright light illuminated the dark cell.
At the words “Quick, get up!” the chains fell from Peter’s wrists. He gathered his clothes and dressed, then followed the angel out through the prison. They passed guard after guard, none of them stirring, until they reached the iron gate that led to the city. The gate swung open by itself. Then the angel left him. Standing alone in the street, Peter came to himself. This was no vision. He had been delivered from the hand of Herod.
Peter went straight to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark—the man who would later travel with Paul and Barnabas and write the Gospel of Mark. She was an influential believer in the early Jerusalem church and had a large enough home to host those who prayed for Peter in a hidden prayer meeting.
Sometimes when we pray for a miracle, our faith is lacking. Do we really expect a life-changing event? This is exactly what we have here. Peter knocked on the door, and a servant named Rhoda was filled with joy. Peter is free! She is so overjoyed that she did not let him in, but ran to tell the others. Meanwhile, Peter was left standing outside the door, an escaped prisoner in a dangerous street.
No one believed Rhoda, but Peter kept knocking. They opened the door, and there stood Peter. Their prayers were answered. Peter recounted God’s miracle that led to his freedom.
As his grandfather was tricked and humiliated by the wise men, Herod must have felt the fool, humiliated. His plan to gain favor with the Jews through the trial of Peter slipped through his hands as loose sand. In his fury, the hard-handed ruler ordered the immediate execution of the guards.
Reflection Questions
- The author defines having a God as expecting all good from Him and taking refuge in Him during distress and being grateful for His care. How does your daily life reflect this kind of full-hearted trust, especially when unexpected trials arrive?
- The believers were actively praying for Peter, yet they told Rhoda she was “out of your mind” when she reported he was at the door. Why is it so easy for us to pray for God to move, yet find ourselves completely shocked when He actually answers?
- Herod’s political plans slipped through his hands like loose sand because God had a different purpose for Peter. Can you think of a time in your own life when an obstacle or a human authority’s plan was completely overridden by God’s sovereign protection?
Prayer
Father,
We praise You because You are love, and You are our secure refuge in every time of distress. Forgive us for the times a crevice develops in our faith because we take our eyes off of Your care and focus on the dark corners of our circumstances. We thank You that even when we live in a fallen world full of hardship, You are working all things out for the good of those who trust in You. Strengthen our expectations when we pray. May we not be like the believers who doubted Rhoda, but instead look for Your hand to move with expectancy. We rest in the promise that our temporary distresses will one day be a distant memory beyond the horizon when we enter Your eternal presence. In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
