Rejoice in Weakness

Acts 12:9
    “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.” NKJV

    At first I wondered why Peter would assume this was a vision. He had seen Jesus in the flesh and seen all the supernatural things He did while He was here. If he knew the strength of God’s power, why wouldn’t he believed that what was happening was real?
    Look back to Acts 10:9-23. Here, only two chapters before, Peter did have a vision. In it, being Peter, he argued with God three times before waking up. It is interesting to see his immediate obedience in this “vision.”
    If we look back to Matthew 16 we see a little more of Peter’s personality. He was the first to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and proclaim it, but then a few minutes later her rebuked the King of Kings for saying He was going to die.
    John 21:18-19 Jesus tells Peter (or Simon) that he will lead Peter where he does not want to go and indicated the kind of death Peter would have. Peter understood this, and probably remembered it the day he was arrested. Having made up his mind already that Jesus would lead him to a terrible death and being alright with it, I can see why he might assume it was another vision and not the saving power of God.
    So why did God save him after warning him that he would die that way anyway?
    Because Peter wasn’t done yet founding the church. Again in Matthew 16, Jesus told Simon Peter that he was “Peter” which means rock, and that He would build His church on that rock. He then goes on to say that not even the gates of hell would stop the church--how much less the gates of a Roman prison? In verse 10 we are told those gates opened of their own accord.
    God will provide a way for His will to be done. He will free us from what binds us, and will open any gate that stands in the way.
    Peter was just a person who loved Jesus. He had faults. In fact, he was the one who got rebuked the most, more often than even Judas Iscariot. And yet God used him to build His church.
    One of Peter’s greatest weaknesses was how often he voiced his opinions. He wasn’t afraid to tell even the Christ when he thought Jesus had it wrong. What a great gift that would be when Peter actually knew what he was talking about!
    Our Lord has a plan for us, and if we are willing to follow Him, he will open the doors for us to further His Kingdom.
    I need to remember that God gave me weaknesses because He is strength. If I allow Him to, He will take those weaknesses and use them to His glory.
    I need to think as Paul did. When I am overwhelmed by the thoughts of my own shortcomings, I should rejoice for it is though that weakness that He is made strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)