September 25, 2024

In 2024, we will strive to become more like Jesus by rediscovering the ancient practices of prayer, study, sabbath, celebration, and many more. Our knowledge of scripture, coupled with studying how Jesus lived his life while on earth, will help us become people that overflow with the goodness of God. Wednesday email devotionals will highlight the practices that have been discussed on the previous Sunday.

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

Acts 16:16-34

Devotional

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas find themselves in a place no one wants to be—prison. Beaten, falsely accused, and locked away in the deepest, darkest part of the jail, their response was astonishing: they prayed and sang hymns to God. In the face of suffering, their focus wasn’t on their pain or how unjustly they had been treated, but on God’s sustaining grace.

Even in chains, Paul and Silas knew that God’s grace was present with them. Grace is never passive; it works in our hearts and transforms us. When I read this story, I can’t help but wonder, “How were they able to sing in a situation like that?” Honestly, I’ve never been in prison (and certainly hope never to be!), but if I were in their shoes, I’m not sure singing would be my natural response.

So, how did they do it? Paul and Silas could sing because their hope wasn’t tied to their circumstances. It was rooted in something far more unshakable: the grace of God. Their praise in prison reminds us that grace reaches us exactly where we are, even in our darkest and most painful moments. Grace doesn’t depend on our situation; it depends on God's unchanging nature.

Then, as the earth shook, the prison doors flew open, and their chains fell off. Yet instead of running, Paul and Silas stayed. Their choice to remain in that prison led to the salvation of the jailer and his entire household. The very man who had once shackled them in chains was now washing their wounds and sharing a meal with them in his home.

This passage shows us that grace isn’t just about personal comfort or relief from hardship—it’s about transformation. The jailer’s heart was forever changed because he witnessed grace in action. He experienced firsthand the power of God’s grace that not only freed Paul and Silas from their physical chains but also set him free from the chains of spiritual bondage.

For Reflection

Like Paul and Silas, we may find ourselves in difficult, even unjust situations. But God’s grace is enough to sustain us, giving us the strength to worship and trust Him, even when life seems unbearable. How can you remind yourself of God’s grace when you feel trapped by difficult circumstances?

Just as the earthquake freed Paul and Silas, God’s grace has the power to break the chains of sin, fear, and despair in our lives. Are there areas in your life where you feel bound? Pray for God’s grace to set you free, knowing that He has the power to do so.

The jailer’s conversion shows us that grace doesn’t stop with us. It spills over into the lives of others, often in unexpected ways. How can your life reflect God’s grace to those around you, especially in difficult times?

Prayer

Gracious Lord, thank You for your grace that meets us in every moment, whether in seasons of joy or times of trial. Help us to recognize your presence at work in our lives, especially when burdens seem overwhelming. Break the chains that keep us from fully embracing you and let our lives reflect the power of your grace. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.