No Fear
And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Acts 12:6
For years, I’ve struggled with sleeping soundly. When it comes time to go to bed each night, I often have difficulty falling asleep. Part of it, I believe, stems from years of working the overnight shift. It seems like my body has never fully adjusted back to a normal sleeping rhythm. But another reason is that I have trouble mentally shutting down. When I lay down, my thoughts are still running a million miles an hour.
Often, after tossing and turning for a while, I’ll start quoting Scripture in my heart or thanking God for the rest He promises to those He loves (see Psalm 127:2). That usually helps me shift my focus to turn to peace and rest, but if I wake up in the middle of the night, the cycle often starts all over again.
I know this isn’t God’s best for me. He designed my body to rest, to unplug, and be restored through the night. I believe it’s His plan and the way He designed me, and you. Our bodies were made to sleep in peace, not in worry or restlessness. So why do I still wrestle with it?
In today’s reading from Acts 12, we find Peter in an impossible situation. He’s chained between two guards, behind locked doors, and scheduled for execution the next morning. If anyone had a reason to stay awake all night, it was Peter. Yet the passage says he was sleeping.
No fear. No panic. No plotting or bargaining. Just sleep.
Peter had such peace because his trust wasn’t in the guards, the court system, or even a last-minute rescue. His confidence was in God. He knew that whether he was rescued or received into heaven, he was held by the Lord. That kind of peace doesn’t come from perfect circumstances, it comes from knowing and trusting Who holds your life.
This passage reminds me that I don’t have to carry every burden to bed. I can lay it down with full assurance that my Father sees, knows, and is already working in all my circumstances something good. Even when things feel beyond my control, they’re never beyond His.
His desire is for you to rest too. If you are in a season of restlessness or carrying a heavy load of care, He has peace for you. He has rest available, not just physical rest, but deep stillness that quiets any chaos you may have in your mind and heart. Jesus promised, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). That invitation is still open. You don’t have to be perfect to receive it. You don’t have to solve everything before you sleep. All He asks is that you come. Let Him lift what’s weighing you down and replace it with peace that guards your heart and mind.
Here are some ways you can start resting in that same peace:
1. Commit your worries to God before bed.
Take a few minutes each night to tell God what’s on your heart. Don’t carry it alone. Pray something like, “Father, I give this to You. I know You’re still working while I rest.”
2. Meditate on His promises.
When anxiety rises, rehearse the truth. Find a few key Scriptures about peace, rest, and God’s protection. Read them before bed and speak them out loud. Try starting with:
- Psalm 4:8 – “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
- Isaiah 26:3 – “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
3. Create a nightly wind-down routine.
Unplug from screens, lower the lights, and choose something calming before bed. Read a psalm, journal a prayer, or play worship music.
4. Trust God with the outcome.
Peter could sleep because he had fully surrendered to God’s plan. You can do the same. Surrender doesn’t mean giving up, it means trusting the One who sees the full picture. Say, “God, You’re in control, and I choose to rest in You tonight.”
Today I want to encourage you to remember that you don’t have to fear what tomorrow holds or stay up trying to solve everything in your mind. You have a heavenly Father who never sleeps or slumbers (Psalm 121:4). He watches over you, even while you rest. He is working while you sleep, and He is faithful to carry you through every care and concern. So tonight, lay your head down in peace. Let His presence quiet your heart and His promises settle your mind. You are safe in His hands.
Today’s Scripture Reading: Acts 12:6-19
6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.
7 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.
8 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.”
9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.
15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.
18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
Journal:
- What thoughts or worries are keeping me up at night?
- What promises of God can I hold onto before bed to help me rest in peace and trust?
The Daily Dose 