In Acts 16:16-24 we see Paul and Silas delivering a slave girl from demon possession. But that woman had made her owners a lot of money by fortune-telling. So, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. The whole crowd got riled up at the accusations laid against Paul and Silas. And the magistrates tore the clothes off of Paul and Silas and had them beaten with rods. And then Paul and Silas were put in the deepest part of the prison, where there was no light, and their feet were fastened.
Then, in Acts 16:25-34, we see that about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. They were praising God for who he is, because he is worthy, no matter where they were. They were going to worship God whether they were going to be released or not. How do we know this? Because there was an earthquake, and all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. Yet no one left. Not Paul and Silas, and none of the other prisoners either.
Think about that. Paul and Silas worshiped God, apparently so loud that everyone else heard it. And then the earthquake had shaken the prison. But the earthquake wasn’t what undid all the chains, all the fastenings. No, that was something else. That was a miracle. And the prisoners were amazed. But Paul and Silas somehow knew that the miracles were just beginning.
The jailor thought everyone was going to escape, so he was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted out, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
Sometimes we are so eager to be delivered from some hard situation that we miss the real depth of our deliverance. Paul and Silas didn’t. They didn’t leave the jail, they waited on God. There was more to come. They were already set free. But they knew others would be set free too.
You need to wait on God. Now, waiting on God doesn’t mean that you can’t rejoice and leave the prison when your deliverance comes. It means be ready to respond to the ministry right where you are. And waiting on God doesn’t mean you have an excuse to be lazy, it means you have a reason to be ready. Being patient doesn’t mean you don’t act; the best prayers have legs. But being patient means you keep on praising God when all the action seems to be against you.
Right there in the darkest midnight, in the place where there doesn’t seem to be any light, God can break in and break you out. But maybe he has more in store than just your immediate needs. Maybe he is meeting eternal needs. Make room for the miracles, for YOUR miracle, and the miracles for others. And wait and see, there always seems to be more miracles attached to your miracle if you are looking, not just for your deliverance, but the deliverance of others. Just when it all seems the darkest, praise God, because more can happen in a minute with God than a lifetime without him.
“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©
