A person is sitting down with their head slightly lowered, resting their hand on their forehead. Another hand is placed on their shoulder, offering comfort.

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Finding Peace in Life’s Hardest Moments

Worship

“Holy Moment” by Phil Wickham, featuring Naomi Raine

Scripture Foundation

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the Church was earnestly praying to God for him… The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains…” -Acts 12:5-6, NIV, emphasis added

A Holy Moment

As I was worshiping to the opening song and meditating on this Scripture passage, I pictured the words of this song filling Peter’s prison cell. This was a holy moment where both the power and the presence of the Lord would intercept Peter’s life in a profound way. God would determine the outcome as Peter was resting in Jesus.

Life’s Prison Moments

There are times in our life when we feel bound by the realities of living in a fallen world. We have loved and followed Jesus, but the unexpected comes. It’s in this place where we get to experience the unfathomable love and deliverance of the One who rescues, defends, and delivers every time.

The Impossibilities

Let’s glance at the several impossibilities stacked against Peter:

  • Herod was on a political mission to win the favor of the Jews, and he would go to any length to do so.
  • The Jews celebrated the death of James, one of the “‘sons of thunder (Mark 3:17),’” as he was executed by the sword. According to Deuteronomy 13:12-15, those who lead others away from the one true God were to be put to death by the sword.
  • The injustice of false accusation was not in Peter’s favor, nor was there any possibility of Peter’s testimony holding weight with this king.
  • The momentum of persecution against the Church was picking up speed.
  • Herod went to great lengths to secure Peter, being guarded by 16 soldiers in total and chained between two of them. Since no executions could take place during Passover, Herod had to wait.
  • Perhaps Peter remembered Stephen being martyred or John the Baptist, who wasn’t rescued from prison either.
  • Since he had already been delivered once, why would God do it again?
  • He was more guaranteed execution at the hand of a murderous king than deliverance under the current circumstances the Church was facing.
  • Tomorrow, indeed, was not promised.

The Power of Rest

But Peter slept—chained, possibly condemned to death, and imprisoned.

And the Church prayed.

He was not panicked and full of anxiety. He was not rehearsing what he would say during a possible trial. He wasn’t composing a letter to the Church. He simply rested in the presence of the Lord.

God’s Deliverance

The angel came on assignment from the throne room of Heaven. Iron chains and prison doors could not stop the power of God to set Peter free. And the voice of the saints partnered with the will of God to move on one man’s behalf.

Truths for Today

I believe the Lord wants us to know these truths deep unto deep:

  • God determines our days, and He is with us in our circumstances
  • He partners with the prayers of His people
  • Your position of rest becomes the highway for deliverance
  • God has not forsaken you in your suffering

Our Response

Peter walked through the valley of the shadow of death, but it could not touch him. The rod and the staff of your Shepherd will guide and guard your life till Jesus takes you home. Will you choose to rest today in the very presence of Jesus?

Final Encouragement

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down… We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” -Hebrews 12:1-2, NLT

And all the while, the Church prayed.

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