Acts 16:25-28 Around midnight Paul ans Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundation. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open.. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here."
My Thoughts
Paul and Silas had been badly beaten and thrown into prison...yet they sing praises to God. There in their pain...in their chains...with open bleeding wounds they sang praises!! When the earth trembled and the prison doors opened...and the chains were broken... not only were Paul and Silas effected...the men around them that had witnessed their faith in God... these men were freed from their chains too!.. Then the guard..their very enemy..the man sent to guard them was freed from death because they did not run. This man, the guard, took them home...feed them and bandaged their wounds...he asked what he needed to do to be saved. All because Paul and Silas did the right thing even in their pain.. even in their captivity. The next day God rewarded Paul ans Silas by having the officials set them free. If they had ran when their chain were broken they would have not been free in their freedom..they would have been running forever.
This is a great lesson for us today... when we choose to praise God...to trust God... especially in our grief and pain... in times when we feel under bondage from things of this world... it not only effects us.. it effects the people around us... it even effects the people that seem to be our enemies in profound ways!! Our attitude toward God during our worst days is the greatest witness of our love for God and God's love for us!! Paul and Silas' actions saved many men that day from the depths of hell. Our actions are our best witness of God's love and power...our very actions have the power to save a person's life.
A few months ago I watch a You Tube video on this man speak about his 23 minutes in Hell. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv8pLUMDVRc This video made me know, without doubt that I don't want even my worst enemy to go to such a place. I pray that my actions..in good times and in bad speak of the love of God in my life!! I pray that I live in a way that make people want to know and love God....I pray that I can be the example that Paul and Silas were that day when they praised God in their deepest pain.
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