Sleeping Like a Baby
“Peter, meanwhile, was sleeping like a baby, shackled to two soldiers, with others standing guard at the prison gate.” Acts 12:6 (MSG)
That word “meanwhile” stood out to me. While chaos was unfolding on the outside, meanwhile, something very different was happening inside. King Herod was plotting Peter’s death. Soldiers were stationed to ensure he wouldn’t escape. The future looked dark.
Meanwhile… Peter was sleeping like a baby.
It does not make sense.
The night before his likely execution, Peter is chained between two guards, surrounded by Roman security, and yet he is sleeping. Not tossing and turning. Not staring at the ceiling in fear. Sleeping like a baby.
That phrase hit me. Because that is not normal. You do not sleep like that when you are on death row. But Peter did. Why?
Because peace is not found in perfect conditions. It is found in a perfect God.
Peter did not know how God would come through. He just knew God could. And that was enough to rest.
He had walked with Jesus. He had seen miracles. He had heard the voice of the One who calmed storms with a word. And now, in the dark, damp silence of a prison cell, that same peace met him. Not after the rescue. Not after the chains broke. But in the middle of it.
Picture it: chained to two guards, with two more standing just outside the cell gate. Four guards. No way out. No backup plan. And still, Peter sleeps. I thought I was a deep sleeper, but Peter beat me on this one.
That is not natural. That is supernatural.
Maybe that is what we need to remember.
Peace is not the absence of chains. It is the presence of Christ.
You might feel surrounded by pressure right now, burdens you did not ask for, problems you cannot solve. But if Peter could sleep through the night before his death sentence, maybe you can breathe through this moment too.
You are not alone. You are not forgotten. And you are not done.
Peter teaches us something powerful: you can rest in the middle, not just the miracle.
Here are three mindsets to hold onto when life feels overwhelming:
Rest in who holds the outcome.
You do not have to have all the answers when you know the One who does. Rest comes when you release control and trust that God’s plan is still unfolding, even in the dark.Rest in what God already said.
Peter had a promise. Jesus once told him he would grow old (John 21:18). Maybe that is what he held onto. What has God spoken over your life? Go back to it. His word still stands.Rest in the practice of peace.
Peace is not passive. It is a choice. Turn down the noise. Turn up worship. Create space to be still with God, even if it is just a few minutes before bed. Let His presence reset your soul.
So if you're carrying something today, if the pressure feels close and the peace feels far, pause for a moment. Take a breath. Let this prayer be your next step.
God, thank You that I do not have to wait for the storm to pass to find peace. Help me rest, even here. Even now. Remind me that You are with me in the pressure, the waiting, the uncertainty. Teach me to trust You like Peter did. Not because I know what will happen next, but because I know You are good. Today, I choose to lay it down and sleep like a baby, because my Father is still in control. Amen.
Make it Personal:
Where do you need peace right now?
What have you been carrying that you need to release?
What would it look like to trust God with it, right now?
