God's plans will be fulfilled

In another imprisonment recorded in Acts, we see how God miraculously delivered Peter from prison. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, and a bright light filled the cell. The angel touched Peter, woke him up, and told him to get up quickly, and his chains fell off his hands. This miraculous deliverance, similar to that of Paul and Silas, makes us wonder why God intervened as he did. The answer is clear: God had a plan for Peter and Paul, and that plan could not be fulfilled while they were imprisoned. They still had much to do to spread the gospel and fulfill the mission God had given them.

We too can find ourselves imprisoned in mental strongholds, such as faulty thought patterns or personal and cultural traditions that prevent us from fully living out God’s will. These mental “prisons” limit us, preventing us from serving God as we should. However, God wants us to be free from everything that separates us from His plan for our lives. True freedom comes when we make ourselves available to do His will, especially for the salvation of those who have not yet accepted Jesus as Savior.

Jesus teaches us that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. This principle becomes clear through suffering and love. Peter declared that he was ready to die with Jesus, but at that time he could not put these words into practice. However, when the Holy Spirit filled him, Peter not only changed his heart, but he gave his life for the Gospel and for others. So, too, when we welcome the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the mental fortresses that limit us and live a life of complete dedication to God, following Peter’s example.