The Jailer Needs To Know

Ever wonder why God allows us to go through times of severe testing? Sometimes it is as if He places our whole Christian life in a situation where the circumstances scream that there is no way of escape, and God has forsaken us. I believe that these moments come to everyone who is living the Christian call.

Look at the great men of God, Paul and Silas. They were living the life of Christ in the fullest, seeing people saved, casting out devils, simply being His vessel. But, all at once they find themselves in the place of dire straits.

Acts 16:19-24- “And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.”

Sometimes we will be put in these places of difficulty, but we must understand that, if we are led by the Spirit, then God has a plan for our being right where we are. It is up to us to use those moments wisely, spending them in the praise.

Acts 16:25-26, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard 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 every one’s bands were loosed.”

If we will praise God in these times of trial, He will always prove Himself more faithful than we knew. And, beloved, there is another person many times for our prison trials… God wants to save the jailer. The only thing God ever needed was a man, and the only thing that man ever needed was God. He places us in the prison cell to be His life.

Acts 16:27-34, “And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”
Beloved, it is all about us being His life. Be encouraged in the Lord wherever you may be, for someone there needs to see the life of Christ in action. Don’t ever forget that the jailer needs to know…