Pacing in front of the Sadducees, the high priest angrily punctuated each word, “I’m sick and tired of these apostles! They crowd our streets! They erode our authority! Some even believe that they do miracles!” Filled with indignation, he raised his fists into the air, “We have to get rid of them!” The others echoed his sentiments as they shouted, “Throw them into prison.”
The soldiers roughly grabbed the apostles and threw them into the prison already filled with others awaiting trial.
Crowded with men covered in dirt and dust, the hot room was filled with the stench of fear. Its’ hold so strong that it seemed to exude from their pores like the sweat rolling down their backs. Fear was etched across each face. Lack of peace was evident by their pacing as they anxiously awaited their fates.
But then for the apostles, a miraculous thing happened!
But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors
and brought them out, and said,
“Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life,”
Acts 5:19-20
The above story is a fictionalized expansion of the apostles’ imprisonment in Acts 5: 12-32. We can easily imagine the fear the imprisoned criminals felt awaiting their fates.
WERE THE APOSTLES FEARFUL TOO?
What did the apostles feel when they were first imprisoned? Did fear cling to them like dust from the street? Were they tormented by their fears? I imagine at least momentarily they were afraid.
Since they obeyed the angel readily ignoring the priest’s threats to cease preaching, we can also imagine
that quickly their faith overcame their fears. In faith, as they turned their focus to Jesus & released their circumstances to Him, they would have been enveloped in His peace.
You will keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You,
Isaiah 26:3
They would have felt His perfect love which cast out their fears.
There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casts out fear; because fear involves torment,
1 John 4:18a
ARE WE EVER FEARFUL?
We are no different than the apostles. Whether we have ever experienced a night in prison or not, I imagine we have all been imprisoned in some fashion. When fear of what could happen or negativity captures our thoughts, it slams the door imprisoning us with fear.
When fear imprisons us, it is usually based on a belief in a lie.
FEARFUL THOUGHT
“My problem is too big for God to solve.”
GOD’S TRUTH
For with God nothing will be impossible,
Luke 1:37
FEARFUL THOUGHT
“God doesn’t love me enough to help me.”
Or
“I am not good enough for Him to solve my problem.”
GOD’S TRUTH
(God), Who wants ALL people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,
1 Timothy 2:4 NIV
Hear the fear in those thoughts?
Those thoughts say that we are afraid God can’t or doesn’t want to help us. Those thoughts become our beliefs.
Fear is a liar.
Fear is not from God.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind,
2 Timothy 1:7
FREEDOM!
Imagine being released from our fears! Imagine being free!
It would be like being released from prison. When the door opens for a prisoner’s release, wouldn’t they feel joy to walk freely away from prison? Wouldn’t they feel relief knowing that their fate had been changed removing the fear of a death sentence?
Jesus can do the same for us. He sets us free from our prison of fear and condemnation to eternal death giving us peace and eternal life, John 3:16.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed,
John 8:32,36
FLIP THE SWITCH!
Isn’t a prisoner subject to the captor’s will? Who wants to be subject to fear! Rather than letting fear imprison us, let’s imprison fear!
When those fearful thoughts get a strong hold on us, let’s flip the switch and take then captive. We refuse to listen to all the arguments bouncing around in our minds saying fear is true. Instead, we focus on God’s truth found in His scripture.
Jesus is greater than fear!
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh
but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God,
and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 ESV
REFLECTION
What imprisons you?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, as I write 2 Timothy 1:7 and say it aloud, remind me that You are greater than fear or anything else that imprisons us.
THROUGH JESUS,
OUR FAITH OVERCOMES FEAR
Comment!
________________________________________________________________________________________________
*For information on making Jesus Christ your Savior, email me or visit, http://www.peacewithgod.net/
Photo priest, freeBibleimages.com
Photo snake only, Cy Lindberg
Photo sign, Todd Morris
