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).

God opens prison doors

 Joseph faithfully served in prison a long time.  He was 17 at the start of his story and 30 when he came out of prison (Genesis 41:46).  For nearly 13 years he was either a slave or in prison and neither were his fault.  He had been sold as a slave by his jealous brothers and was in prison because of a lying, scorned woman.  Joseph would have been justified in thinking God had forgotten him and that everyone was blocking his God given destiny. 

No one can block God’s destiny for your life if you trust God.

God was taking his time in working out his plans for Joseph’s life.  It was ‘some time later’ that Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker joined Joseph in prison and ‘some time later’ they had their dreams.  Nevertheless, Joseph interpreted their dreams making sure they both knew that the interpretations came from God.  Naturally he asked the cupbearer that when he was restored to his former position he showed kindness to Joseph by mentioning him to Pharaoh and getting him out of prison.  The cupbearer forgot all about him.

Imagine Joseph’s anticipation that he maybe he would soon be out of prison.  The cupbearer was restored to his old position just he had predicted - yet nothing happened.  No royal pardon.  Imagine his disappointment as day followed day. He must have wondered if God had forgotten him as well as the cupbearer. Two years passed and Joseph must have thought he was never going to get out of prison and if his dreams were just that, dreams.  

Then one day, a day no doubt that started like any other, Joseph got the call.  He started the day in prison and ended in the palace as second in command only to Pharaoh.  No man made the promotion.  It was God and God alone. 

For the rest of his life Joseph would know that his days, his times, his destiny were in God’s hands and his hands alone.  Nothing and no one could shake or shape that destiny.  Therefore when he was reunited with his brothers many years later he could say with confidence, ‘It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then it was not you who sent me here, but God.’(Genesis 45 5 – 8). 

God alone releases our destiny.  No one can withhold it if we trust him and we cannot speed it up or slow it down.  We may have to wait years like Joseph who spent 13 years as a slave and in prison learning how to run a nation in times of plenty and in famine.  Abraham was an old man when he became the father of nations.  Moses was 80 when he started his ministry and spent 40 years learning to shepherd a people by shepherding sheep.  David spent years, even after he had been anointed king, having spears thrown at him and living as a fugitive to learn how not to be a king but to serve God faithfully.

If you are living your destiny, serve faithfully.  If you are waiting for your destiny to be fully released, serve faithfully.  God is working his character and gifting into you for what is ahead.  Honour those over you and God will honour you.