The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Acts 12:8,
“Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him.”
There is something here in this account of Peter’s escape from jail that touches my heart about the heart of God. As we follow the account of Acts 12 we read of the first apostle martyred, James the brother of John. As Herod persecuted the church and saw how his killing of James “pleased the Jews” he proceeded to do the same with Peter. As I read it, I find this to be a very vivid and dramatic account. Peter is thrown into jail but the church was “earnestly praying to God for him.” Two forces pitted against one another for the life of this great apostle.
On this night we find Peter stripped of his clothes and bound with two chains between two soldiers with sentries at the entrance. An angel appears and tells Peter to get dressed and miraculously leads him out of the jail. The account tells us that the chains binding Peter’s wrists “fell off”. The angel leads Peter past the guards that have been assigned to keep him secured. A gate opens by itself to let them through and Peter is freed.
As I say, I find this a very exciting and fascinating account to read of. And embedded within this story is something the angel does that touches my heart, and is certainly an expression of God’s heart. When the angel appears, wakes Peter and has him get dressed, in the midst of this miraculous and dramatic encounter of this fallen world with the heavenly presence of God’s angel, the angel tells Peter to wrap his cloak around himself! Maybe it is just me but to see the angel’s concern for Peter’s comfort as he leads him out into the cold night air in the midst of this incredible drama shows a tenderness and a care for Peter by this angel that I find remarkable. Surely this very minor detail exposes the great heart of God for Peter in this angel’s care for him.
I am sure this is viewed as a somewhat insignificant comment by Luke in his recounting of the event, but for me it is precisely these comments that speak so much of the heart of our wonderful loving God.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!
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