Not Losing Hope

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 everyone’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!”

Acts 16:25-28

The way that God governs our life is unpredictable. In Acts 16, Paul and Barnabas gets imprisoned essentially because he exorcised a fortune-telling spirit out of annoyance. As a result, Paul and Barnabas gets flogged and is thrown in prison because of the owners complaint of taking away their livelihood in the fortune telling slave. Rather than this story being more than about Paul and Barnabas having complete faith in God through the twist and turns of life, I feel like this story is more about the jailer. I'm assuming the jailer is a Roman soldier, who is battle harden with the strickest of military training. Those who fail to do their duties as guards will suffer the consequences of the prisoners charges, whether it a beating, or beheadings their lives are at stake. After God freed Paul and Barnabas, the prison guard decides to take his own life out of fear. For some reason Paul and Barnabas, does not leave, but stays within the cells. In this miracle the soldier received Christ and was filled which resulted in a new found joy. When all hope was lost he found the only hope that mattered, which is salvation in Christ. Overjoyed he took in Paul and Barnabas to his home and saved his household. God has an interesting way of saving people. When things seem hopeless, holding on to God is the only option we have. If the soldier went through with his suicide, he wouldn't have the opportunity of Christ's saving powers in his life. If Paul did not rebuke the spirit, the prisoner would not have had the chance to listen to the gospel. All things work for the good of those who love him. For Paul and Barnabas, they could have left the cells, they didn't. God worked out their freedom, as well as the prison guard. I think the importance of this verse was trusting in God when things seemed bleak. Though my life isn't bleak at the moment, I know there will be a time when God tests me and throws me in jail. Will I be faithful like Paul, or lost hope like the prison's initial reaction?

Jesus give me hope when things seem hopeless. Though my life is not bleak at the moment, I pray that you would give me pure faith that when things do become hard, I would trust in you and have hope. Help me not to give up, but to keep praising you within the prison enclosure of my problems when the time occurs.

In Jesus Name
Amen