Tag: Acts 16:25-32
Singing in the night!
Scripture reading for May 27: Acts 16
” About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:25-30
This story is a contrast of different world views. In Paul and Silas we have prayer and worship, in spite of being in the prison dungeon in chains. In the other prisoners, we find curious listening and probably some mocking of their faith and worship. In the jailer, we find despair in his assumption that his life was over if the prisoners had escaped. I imagine all would have been shaken up because of the strong earthquake that opened the doors and unfastened the shackles. Why wouldn’t they escape with open doors and loosened chains? That should have been the logical outcome. Faith works by love!
The contrast is one of worldly logic and human nature and its fears with faith and supernatural peace. Paul and Silas were prisoners of Rome but free to worship and pray. They entered the world of God’s abundance and divine provision where all things are possible. As they worshipped, heaven did what human strength or reason could not. Invisible forces of angelic power and God’s providence shook the jail and those inside and outside. The jailer and his household were saved and redeemed. The magistrate ordered their release from jail. Paul and Silas demanded an apology and got one. They visited other believers and departed, having done God’s will and work.
How do you think you might have responded to being beaten and imprisoned for the Gospel? Why does God allow His people to go through this kind of suffering in doing His work? What role did these apostles have in reaching the jailer and his family?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sharing with us Your amazing ability to answer prayer. Thank you for using Your people, even in suffering, to witness hope to those imprisoned by their own sinful world view. Lead me by Your Holy Spirit to live in such manner as to have people ask how to be saved. Amen!