25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 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. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Power – Proclamation
Leila Ojala
Elements Church – Summit County CO
Observation: What an amazing demonstration of God’s Power! God’s rescue of Paul & Silas and their subsequent selflessness opened up the jailer and his entire household to the Proclamation of the Gospel.
Action: This week I will step out in faith-filled prayer for God’s Power to heal someone who doesn’t know the Lord, in the hope that a supernatural experience will open them up the Gospel in the same way it did the jailer.
God seems to be saying you don’t know what I’m saying! It’s not always the obvious thing you might think.
My observation is that if a miraculous quake comes that unlocks cells and handcuffs but doesn’t wake the guard, God is saying “leave.” “Go.” “You’re free.” But apparently that’s not what Paul and Silas hear or surmise. How did they know or decide what to do? Were they praying to be freed?
Action: I am going to work on remembering that I am free but that it’s not all about me. I need to watch for consequences and how my actions affect others, and act accordingly. In the end, I’ll still be free.