The Earthquake

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE EARTHQUAKE

Acts 16:19-28

19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice." 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27 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. 28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

NIV

Here is where that old truth about the love of money being the root of all evil is demonstrated. These men did not care about the girl, but only that their source of money was gone. Although their testimony about Paul and Silas was a lie, the people of the city, or we could say the people of the world, believed the lies and attacked Paul and Silas, beating them by the magistrate, who then threw them in prison. The world we live in would like nothing better than to imprison those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This would not be a prison like Paul and Silas were in, like the inner cell, with our feet in stocks. However, they are happy to keep us within the prison of our churches; that way, we are kept separate, so we cannot influence their way of life. We know there are believers in other parts of the world who are being beaten, tortured, and even killed to silence their message. That would not work in our county, but there is still this hatred from the progressives, and closed ears and hearts by those who desire to live for their own pleasures. Most are content to keep us silent, but in our church prison, chaining our voices. However, even in the worst of circumstances, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns, and other prisoners were listening. Aren't the people of the world in their own prison of sin? Should they not hear us praying and singing hymns, or at least speaking boldly about Jesus wherever we go? While Paul and Silas were praying and singing, there was suddenly a violent earthquake, and the foundation of the prison was shaken, and all the doors flew open. We wonder in the world heard us praying and singing hymns, or at least speaking boldly about the message of salvation through faith in Jesus, that the Lord would cause a violent metaphorical earthquake in their lives, and the foundation of their prison would be shaken, and the doors of their hearts would be opened. Just a thought. Jesus has freed us from the prison we were in, the cell called death row. Others need to be freed, so let us boldly go forth, praying and singing hymns, so others can hear us, and let God cause the earthquake.