Reaching the lost at any cost!

    In Acts chapter 16:23-34, Paul and Silas are in Philippi where they are beaten and thrown into jail. In spite of their pain and discomfort, at midnight, they began to pray and sing hymns to God. Suddenly there was a great earthquake and all the doors to the jail cells were opened and the prisoners’ chains loosed. The keeper of the prison who had been asleep, awoke and saw the doors opened. He thought that the prisoners had escaped and he drew his sword intending to kill himself. But Paul called out to him assuring him that no one had left their cell. The jailer in turn fell down trembling before Paul and Silas asking them what he needed to do to be saved. They told him to believe on the Lord Jesus and he and his household would be saved. He brought them to his home where they preached to him and his family. They believed and were baptised. He also washed their wounds and gave them food to eat.
    I have focused in the past on the whole idea of Paul and Silas singing and praising God in spite of their dire circumstances and the reality of God’s deliverance because their attitude was one of worship instead of complaining. But today I am focusing on the jailer and his story. Interestingly, you would think that the purpose of the earthquake was to give Paul and Silas the opportunity to be set free. However, God used it to bring about a different kind of freedom - the one of a lost soul. It would seem that the purpose of Paul and Silas’ imprisonment was to save this Gentile jailer. 
    It reminds us that God would go to any lengths to bring about our salvation. After all, He already sacrificed His Son to pay the price for our sins so that we would not have to. It was therefore no small thing to sacrifice his disciples’ comfort to bring about the salvation of another. In God’s eyes, that jailer was important.
    Additionally, it is important to note that when that earthquake took place and the prison doors opened, not a single prisoner made an effort to escape. If they had, the jailer would have been punished, even put to death for the escape of the prisoners in his charge. God knew this and did not allow a single prisoner to move. Once again, it wasn’t about anyone escaping but about God proving His love for this one jailer, and the lengths to which He would go to get his attention and to motivate him to receive His gift of salvation. 
    For some of us, when we think about our own lives, if we are honest, we can remember the lengths God went to, just to get our attention. We are that important to Him. He loves us that much. 
    When the jailer realised that no one had made an effort to escape, he immediately came before Paul and Silas, asking them how he could be saved. He must have realised that what had happened was not normal. Somewhere along the line, he seemed to realise that God had a part to play in all of it and he wanted to connect with this God who clearly spared his own life. He knew there was an earthquake. He knew all chains were miraculously loosed and prison doors opened. But he was also forced to acknowledge something even more miraculous - not a prisoner had left their cell. God wanted to get his attention and He did. How far has God gone to get your attention? How did you respond?
    Finally, the jailer knew exactly who to go to ask about salvation. He must have heard Paul and Silas singing and praying to God. As children of God, our lives, in both the good times and the bad, should be the arrow that points people to Christ. We are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14 & 16) and we have the answer they need to escape the challenges this world has to offer. God is interested in using both our good times and our challenging ones to lead lost souls to Him. Don’t believe for one minute that that situation you are going through is in vain. God will use both the good and the bad in our lives to encourage someone else. Nothing we go through is wasted.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God loves you and will go to any lengths to motivate you to serve Him. And when you turn your life over to Him, He will in turn use you to lead others to Him. 
​

---