Ok . . so you might remember them . . . those old black and white cowboy movies. And that classic scene in a number of those old westerns where there’s a guy in jail and his buddies are going to get him out . . . and so sneak around back of the jailhouse to where his cell is . . . and they tie some ropes to the bars of the jailhouse window . . . tether the rope to a pack of horses . . . give ’em a swat . . . and the horses pull the bars and good portion of the wall out . . . and voila! . . . “they dun sprung ‘im!” You wonder if Peter was thinking of such plans of escape that night he got thrown in the slammer (Acts 12).

But no way it was going to be as simple as hooking up a bunch of horses to an outside window. You kind of get the sense that Peter’s cell was buried in the depths of the prison. What’s more Peter was bound by chains to two soldiers who doubled as cell mates . . . and there were two more at the gate of the prison . . . all in all, four squads of soldiers were assigned to make sure Peter didn’t escape (12:4,6). Herod was determined to have himself another public execution. The Jews had responded so favorably to his execution of James . . . and it had been such a long time since the the Jews liked him at all, that Herod determined to hold an encore performance . . . this time it would be the head of Peter that would roll. And no one . . . no how . . . no way . . . was going to spoil it by helping Peter to escape.

And so that night . . . the church prayed (12:5) . . . Peter slept (12:6) . . . and God acted. And you know, it’s way to easy to skim over this part . . . the part where the angels come and rescue Peter . . . because it can seem so fairy tale like . . . the stuff of Sunday School flannel graphs . . . we read it . . . and believe it . . . but don’t connect it with how God REALLY works in human affairs. But hey! Why not? Isn’t He the same God, yesterday, today, and forever? And so I slow down and read these verses and am amazed with the manner in which God can intervene in the lives of His people. I’m not saying this is God’s normative method of rescue . . . but this is an example of the normative power of our God!

You check out the account in 12:7-11 and it’s absolutely mind-blowing! Peter’s asleep . . . and then an angel is there amidst a bright shining light . . . and he has to give Peter a whack in order to wake him up ( an aside . . . doesn’t seem like Peter was having problems sleeping . . . you gotta think it was an indicator of the peace Peter possessed as he trusted God for whatever was to happen). Peter’s chains fall off . . . he’s free of the guards . . . they are still in la-la-land . . . the angels then lead Peter out of the prison . . . opening up doors . . . or walking through walls . . . or whatever . . . it all seemed unreal to Peter because he thought he was experiencing a vision. They stroll by the first and second guard posts . . . you don’t sense they were skulking in the shadows . . . hiding behind corners with their backs pressed against wall . . . but that they angels had done something to the prison guards so that they could just walk past them out to the gate . . . and then open the gate . . . and then send Peter on his way. How awesome is that? And it’s not the fact that God uses that game plan for every rescue that is amazing, but that He can . . . it’s part of His repertoire . . . the same God who has promised never to leave me or forsake me has that kind of power to deliver. Maybe if I really got that, I’d sleep at night more like Peter rather than worrying myself into insomnia.

Peter hadn’t seen any of those old western movies. Thinking about a team of horses pulling down the walls of his prison cell probably wasn’t even something that could come to mind. But even had horses been a possibility . . . I’m thinking Peter wouldn’t have given it a second thought . . he wasn’t trusting in horses.

The Psalmist reminded me this morning that “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Ps. 20:7). And isn’t that the bottom line? God can use horses . . . He can use chariots . . . and He can use angels too. Our God is able to deliver . . . through the “normal” and mundane and yes, if He chooses, through the blow-you-away miraculous. The issue isn’t how God delivers . . . its not about the means by which He will sustain His people . . . it is that He can . . . and He will. And mine, is to trust. I know it’s easy to say when you’re not sitting in the prison cell . . . but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. By His grace, and through His Spirit in us, may we know that deep abiding calm and assurance that comes from trusting wholly in Him in all things and through all circumstance.

In those times where we need rescue . . . angels would be cool . . . horses might be nice . . . but we’ll trust in the name of the LORD our God. Amen?