IBS: Chains

Acts 12:7—

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.

This is such a powerful verse. It’s intimidating to tackle. The thing that stands out to me the most is the simple phrase, “And the chains fell off his hands.”

The Lord had a plan for Peter and his life, but he waited until the last second to reveal it to Peter. When Peter thought it was his time to die the Lord broke him free from his chains and set his life back into action.

No matter what your chains are or how long they have held you captive, they are never too strong for the Lord to break you away from. I believe the Lord longs to use the chains that used to bind us to help us grow closer to him as well as be a light for him, and give hope to those who are still bound.

Another thing that struck me was that it says, "And a light shone in the cell.” John 1:5 says, “A light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.” This verse has been one that has helped me through this last year. 

As a group of people preparing to venture into the darkness of the world we all need to remember that if we contain the light of the Lord, and we shine that light into the darkness, the darkness cannot overcome us. 

Written: 8/10/11