Immerse yourself in this scene. Get the full picture in Acts 12. Peter was witnessing and personally experiencing the violent persecution that Herod Agrippa (“the king”) was bringing against Christians. Peter saw Herod kill his fellow apostle and friend, James, with the sword. He was seized by Herod’s henchmen, with plans to do the same to him as was done to James. Peter was arrested, thrown in prison, guarded by sixteen soldiers and bound with two chains between two soldiers. What would you be doing in that prison cell? Where would your emotions be? How uncomfortable, miserable, traumatic and faith-draining would all of that be?
The night before Herod was about to sentence him, do you know what Peter was doing? What would you be doing? The record tells us, “that night Peter was sleeping” (Acts 12:6). Could you be sleeping? Peter trusted unequivocally in the presence of God, and knowing “the Lord is my helper,” he determined, “I will not fear,” for after all, “What can man to do me?” (Heb. 13:5-6). Do we trust in the Lord so much that we can sleep in our worst trials?