Sleeping in peace

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.  Acts 12: 6- 7

Herod had just killed John’s brother James in a persecution of the believers. Seeing that it pleased the Jews with whom he was constantly trying to keep favour, he imprisoned Peter. He was going to bring him out for public trial but the church was praying.

What I love about this story is that Peter was sleeping in prison. He was surrounded by guards, chained but he was sleeping. This does not speak of someone fearing for their life. Even though James had just been killed by Herod, Peter does not seem very worried. This speaks of someone very confident that God was with him in whatever happened next.  He was obviously not expecting to be miraculously released from prison even though that had happened before (Acts 5: 17 – 20) because as he walked out from prison, led by the angel, he thought he was dreaming (12: 9). 

Maybe he was remembering what Jesus had said to him at that daybreak breakfast after his resurrection when Jesus restored him. ‘…but when you are old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ John 21:18. Peter knew it was not his time, he was going to get old, so he could sleep peacefully even though he was bound and surrounded by guards.

Jesus too was quite confident in his time. When the ship that he was sailing across the Sea of Galilee was hit by a storm, the disciples thought they were going to drown but Jesus was sleeping in the stern of the boat. (Mark 4: 31 – 35). He knew it was neither his time to die nor the manner so he could sleep knowing he had nothing to fear.

Our days and our times are in God’s hands (Acts 17: 26). We do not need to fear. If we are saved, we do not need to fear death. It is the gateway to eternal life spent with our God and Father and his Son Jesus. Nor do we need to fear when we may die. All we need to do is live our lives to God’s glory day by day. He will look after us in the good times and the not so good times. He never leaves us and we can trust him so that whether in prison, in a boat or in our own beds, we can sleep in peace for God makes us dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8).