Praise through the Trial

Friday, October 23rd, 2026

10 am

Good morning! Today I am in Acts 16:16-40. One day as Paul and Silas was heading to prayer, they came across a demon possessed, slave girl. She was a fortune teller that made a lot of money for her master. She began following them and shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God and are here to tell you how to be saved." She followed them day after day, shouting this, until finally Paul became agitated. He turned to her and told the demon to come out, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Instantly the demon left her. This shattered her masters hopes of wealth. So her master and some others, grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace. The whole city was in an uproar, and told the officials that Paul and Silas were teaching customs that were illegal for Romans to practice. A mob formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them to be stripped and beaten. They were severely beaten and thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. So he placed them in the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 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. The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, and assumed the prisoners had escaped. So he drew his sword to kill himself, but Paul shouted for him to stop. Telling him that they were all still there. The jailer called for the lights, and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. The jailer brought them out and asked them what he must do to be saved. They told him to believe in the Lord Jesus and he would be saved, along with everyone in his household. Then they shared the Word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. After, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds, then he and everyone in his household was baptized. He brought them to his house and set a meal before them. And he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. The next morning, the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer to let them go. The jailer told them they were free to go, but Paul replied that they had been publicly beaten without a trial and put in prison, and they were Roman citizens. So he told them no, he would not leave, that they should come and release them themselves. The police reported this back to the officials, and they were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. So the officials went to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. They left the prison and returned to the home of Lydia. They met with the other believers there, and encouraged them one last time. Then they left town.

Wow, there is a lot here! I started typing this yesterday morning, but ran out of time to finish. It's amazing to see how God works. Paul and Silas were going to prayer meets with other believers sharing the Good News, when they came across a demon possessed, slave girl. That used fortune telling as a way to make money for her master. Crazy enough, the demon in the girl could see and understood what Paul and Silas were doing, and was telling everyone. But because it was a demon in this girl that was sharing this, they called the demon out of the girl in the name of Jesus Christ. This infuriated the girl's master, and he caused a mob to come after Paul and Silas. But in doing so, this allowed a whole household to be saved, and probably many in the jail. If it wasn't for this master causing a problem, and getting them thrown in jail, the jailer and his household probably would have never come to believe in Jesus Christ.

We may not understand what is happening to us. But God has got a plan. It may not look the greatest, I mean Paul and Silas were beaten severely and thrown into prison, but because of that and their faithfulness to God even in the midst of their pain and suffering, many lives were saved! How amazing is that! They were beaten and thrown in jail, but even while they were in the jail they were praising God! Praising God so much that their chains fell off and the door to the cells were thrown open!!!! That is the power of Jesus Christ in every one of our lives!!!! When we turn to God, repent of our sins, and put our full trust and faith in Him, those chains that the enemy uses to hold us down, break! Those chains fall off of our souls!!! God sets us free! Then not only does He set us free, but that transformation in our lives changes everyone around us! Especially our households! It's amazing! God is so good! This section is an amazing representation of how God works in our lives! And He wants to do that for everyone of us! Allow God to break those chains of the enemy off your life. He is the only one who can. He wants to set you free!