No Little Disturbance

Reading in Acts 12 this morning, and these words made me smile.

18Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.

Peter had been imprisoned. He was locked up tight, in fact he

was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.

So picture it, Peter has been arrested. Herod has plans to kill him because he knows it will please the Jewish people. To keep him securely locked up they have chained him to two guards AND posted sentries. And he gets away through the help of an angel.

Do you understand now why these words made me smile?

Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter

Peter had been securely locked up with men who knew what they were doing, and he's gone! The guards and sentries unhurt, the chains had just fallen off. How do you explain it? You can't really. I do feel badly that men died as the result of Peter's miraculous escape but at the same time, I can smile at how confused they must have been (especially Herod).

God rescued Peter. Peter's response shows his heart

"Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."

He knows that God did this thing. He goes immediately to tell his friends what happened and then leaves town.

Isn't it just amazing what God can do?
He can take something that the world has deemed secure, and give it freedom.

One of the TV shows I like to watch often has this line in it "people don't change". But I know that God can change people. I've seen it happen time and time again. God does things that the world doesn't expect to see happen. He gives new life. He changes hearts. He, oh, just sit back for a moment, think of what he has done for you? Could you have ever imagined it?

I look at my own life. Happily single lady. Loved God. Couldn't find a good church to attend, struggling in her faith. And now here I am, 4.5 years later, married to a godly husband, with a child, in a good church, still struggling with my faith but in a better way now. God changed my life. He's made me more complete as a person, as a Christian, as a woman, it's just wow! :) Beyond what I would have imagined.....