October 20th, 21

Get up, get dressed, and grab your coat.  

The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. (Acts 12:7-8 NLT)

Those are the words of the angel to Peter. And they’re coming to him at a very strange time. It’s Passover. A year before, during Passover,  Christ was killed - crucified.  And now, during this Passover celebration, the first of the Apostles has been martyred - James, the brother of John - the son of Zebedee, one of the Sons of Thunder.  And like so many politicians,  Herod adores the praises of the crowds and figures that Peter should be the next martyr.  While Peter awaits his execution after the Passover, we’re told that the Church prayed, and Peter slept.  As he slept he heard the words, Get up, get dressed, get your coat.  Get ready for God to remove you from harm’s way, reverse these circumstances and set you on a road that leads forward into his purposes for you.  But this miracle begins with prayer and it begins with rest.  The Church is praying and Peter is sleeping - he’s resting.  Only God can do what needs to be done now. They were to pray and to rest - to be available to God; and then to get up, get dressed and grab a coat, when the time came.  To walk through the door that God is about to open, no cunning or strength is required on Peter’s part, only prayer and rest.  

Prayer is the acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty and trust in his goodness.  Resting is that disposition of heart that recognizes that it is all God.  He alone can do this thing. Ours is to get up, get dressed, and grab a coat.  Doors are about to be opened.  The road is about to be laid out before us.  And we will soon be free, awake and alive.  We will see that ours is to pray and ours is to rest.

As you look out upon the circumstances of your life, remember that it is God alone who can open the doors, walk you through the gates, and set a road before you.  Rest in him.  Trust in Him.

It begins with prayer and rest.  Then get up.  Get dressed. Grab your coat.  There’s a miracle ahead.  It’s Christ in you.

You are loved!