WEDNESDAY June 7, 2023
Angelic Assistance
Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”
Acts 12:7-8
While Peter was in chains, the saints––believers in Christ––were praying, waiting for the Lord to answer. God, in answer to prayer, sent an angel to assist Peter and miraculously release him from prison. A light shone in the darkness of that cell as the angel poked Peter on his side and told him, “Quickly, get up!”
Automatically, Peter’s chains fell off. Remember, Peter was chained to two Roman soldiers, with another two guards stationed outside. By divine intervention, the angel led Peter outside, and nobody could do anything about it. The soldiers must have been completely stunned!
Do we, as Christians, believe in angels? You bet. We believe in angels, because they are seen to be God’s ministers in the Bible. In Matthew 18:6, 10 people are cautioned against harming or thinking less of children because of their age. Matthew 18:10 tells us: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones [young children], for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”
As a child, I was taught about guardian angels. I believe I have a guardian angel, or I would not be here today. I think of how many times, in different situations, God has protected me––especially in Vietnam. Think about it. When someone is in an accident, and they look back at the scene, they often realize that they should have been killed. What really happened? It is possible that an angel was sent by God to divinely protect them. Know this: God divinely protects His children. His ministering angels intervene in their lives because God sends them to help.
If you are in danger of persecution in China, the Middle East, India, Siberia, or even here in America, take comfort from Peter’s deliverance, because according to God’s perfect He can send an angel to rescue you!
The great comfort in knowing that angels minister to believers in Christ is that God Himself sends them to us.
~Billy Graham~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
