Prepare for a Move toward Freedom

We have here another of the striking pictures which are in the books of Acts. The scene here is a prison, and the time, the stillness of the night, Peter sleeping between two soldiers, two others on duty outside keeping the door.

God’s time for deliverance having come, the angel of the Lord appears accompanied by a shining light and awakens Peter, saying, arise up quickly. And at the same time, the chains which were on his hands fell off. Then as his hands were now free, he was to gird himself and bind on his sandals. As the text says, “so he did.” And then, after this had been done, came the command, “cast thy garment about thee and follow me.” And then he went out to freedom and to years of service in spite of all that the enemy could do against him.

This is just one of a number of accounts in the word of how God is able to deliver those who trust him and who are in any trouble, particularly those who are in trouble because of the work of God. Any who will truly yield their lives to Him will find that He will be mighty to save and strong to deliver, Praise God.

But there is another lesson in this passage. God’s time for deliverance had come, prayer had been made—continual prayer quite likely—and the time had come for the answer. And though the answer seem a long while coming, it always comes in God’s time, if we are praying in His will.

Then to many who are in a place of bondage—who seem to be bound with difficulties, as near them as those two soldiers were to Peter, and with other difficulties, farther away as were those two keepers outside the door—God does come and awaken, that the time for deliverance has come. It comes often with a flood of light and a striking on the side to awaken the one whom He wants to deliver. And then the command comes, “Arise up quickly.” No time to parley, prayer has been made and God’s time for answering has come. Peter said nothing, but simply did as he was told. Yet how many talk of desiring victory, who, when God’s time comes for it, defeat the answer to their own prayers, because of their unwillingness to arise quickly? Sometimes, as in the case of Peter, deliverance is delayed until the last few hours. And then possibly it is missed because hope has been given up.

Then deliverance comes at times when it is not convenient to the flesh, as in the middle of the night, and the deliverer is in a way told to come again at a more convenient time (Acts 24:25). Felix could have been delivered at that time—it would have cost him something—still that was his chance. But he said that he would call for Paul at a more convenient time.

But deliverance does not come that way. And many quite likely miss the best God has for them, because the opportunity or call to move does not come at a time when they feel that they can take advantage of it.

Then preparations must be made, in spite of the fact that we may still be in the midst of the old surroundings. We sometimes are called on to gird ourselves and get ready for a move, and possibly, many refuse to do so until the prison doors are passed. But thank God for Peter and the words, “And so he did.” And there in the prison, he prepared for the street, girded, with sandals on, with his garment about him. And then, following the Angel, he went out, out to freedom, and power to go on in the work of the Lord.

Possibly many would say that as Peter knew that he was going to be executed, there was small chance of his being unwilling to follow the angel, and that in his place anyone else would have done the same. And naturally speaking, this is true. But we have a more powerful enemy than Herod today, who is able to bind most every one in some measure, and to bind some so tightly that they are not able to function for God hardly at all. Yet for all, the time for deliverance comes, and for many, it is missed because of the unwillingness to make preparations for freedom, to show God that we are willing to move before complete deliverance comes.

We have all had at least some encouragement that God hears and is willing to answer prayer in our behalf. But to us, the call comes, “Gird thyself,” etc. We may see the soldiers of unyieldedness, or circumstances as really as ever, and the prison walls as thick. But still, unless we are willing to act on what has already been done, it is doubtful if God will do much more toward our release. If we would follow the Angel out to freedom and a place in the great plan of God, we must be willing to prepare for it, to gird up this loose way of living, to prepare with the sandals, our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, to cast our garment about us in preparation and in anticipation of what is coming.

God is, I believe, saying to us to arise up quickly and prepare for a move, a move toward freedom, deliverance victory and a place in the ministry of calling men out of the darkness into His marvelous light. Amen.