What is the most uncomfortable, miserable place you have ever had the unfortunate experience to visit?
Mine was a small elevator in Rome, Italy, the size of a coffin. Kid you not. The first time my girlfriend Cheri and I rode the elevator, this nice young man was there to show us how to operate it when we entered, and he was there to show us how to operate it when we exited. Keep in mind, I am severely claustrophobic. So I was quite proud of the fact I had talked my way through the ride up without passing out. He was very thorough, and we felt we had a pretty good grip on the whole elevator contraption.
That evening, Cheri and I came in from our wandering. Our feet were burning. Our legs were like noodles. Wearily we entered the elevator. I entered and turned around. Cheri entered and turned around, so I faced her back. There was no room for her to stand to my side. She closed the outside door, the inside door which was directly in front of her and pushed the button for our floor. We reached our floor, and Cheri opens the inner door and attempts to open the outer door, but it doesn’t budge.
This story is much funnier told in person because there’s hand motions and gasping for air, but let’s just say, when I realized we were stuck I began hyperventilating. Cheri called the young man, and it would take him 20 minutes to get there. There was a large Italian man on the other side of the door yelling at us rather emphatically in Italian something we couldn’t understand. She starts to push the button for the first floor, and I yell, “We’ll plummet to our death!” I really am not a dramatic person, but the claustrophia had overtaken all logic and reasoning.
She pushed the button anyway. We did not plummet to our death. This time both doors opened, and I shoved her out of the way and sucked in the fresh air with deep heaves.
At no point in time during that ten minute ordeal did I ever feel at peace. Not one minute.
So when I read in Acts 12: 6, Peter was sleeping chained between two guards the night before he was to be executed, I marveled at the peace this man had. Not only was he asleep, but he was sleeping so soundly the angel had to strike him. That is some good sleep. That is sleep like you’ve just gotten a massage, and there’s no children, dogs, snoring husband or noisy neighbors to wake you kind of sleep. The kind of sleep where you leave drool on the pillow. You can’t get that kind of sleep if you are worrying about what tomorrow holds. You don’t get that kind of sleep if you’re worried about your impending death.
As a matter of fact, Peter thought he was having a vision even though he knew the angel was for real. After all, the angel had just hit him. The angel had to give Peter step by step instructions of what to do. Get up. Get dressed. Put on your sandals. Wrap your cloak around you. Follow me.
Keep in mind the guards never wake and were never alerted, not the ones chained to him and not the ones standing outside, not the ones at the first gate and not the ones at the second gate. It’s almost as if Peter was invisible. When they reached the iron gate that led to the city, it opened by itself, and the angel disappeared after they pass the first street.
How is it Peter had such peace? He knew what Herod had in store for him. It was no secret Herod intended to put Peter to death, and yet Peter had peace.
He slept in a dark, foul-smelling, rodent-infested, prison cell chained to two men, and he had peace.
Just a few Scriptures on peace:
Isaiah 32:17, The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.
John 14:27, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.
John 16:33, I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.
Galatians 5:22, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faith.
You know what these tell me? Peace is something the Spirit develops and matures in us. Peace requires a high level trust in the One who holds the future. Peace is having faith Jesus will work it out one way or another to the glory of God and to the benefit of the kingdom.
How are you sleeping at night? Are you at peace, or are you worried and anxious? I challenge you to allow the Spirit to mature and grow peace into your life.