The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 1 February 2023 – TOPIC: ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD
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DATE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 01, 2023
TOPIC: ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
18 And this she did for many days.
But Paul, greatly [a] annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;
21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”
22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.
24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself.
28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the [b]officers, saying, “Let those men go.”
36 So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”
38 And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.
39 Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city.
40 So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
THE MESSAGE:
Romans 8:28 states in part, “…all things work together for good to those who love God….” This played out in our text today. In their ministry journey, Paul and Silas met the girl described here as possessing the spirit of divination. Paul, in the power of the Holy Spirit, cast out the spirit. This resulted in severe beating and imprisonment for them. However, despite their travail, they resorted to praising God who came to their rescue! This led to the repentance of the jailer and his household.
When Christians face trials, they fail to ask God to work out His purpose through their experiences. It is true that trials are usually tough and unexpected, but God knows why they come to us. What He requires from us is to trust Him and allow Him to turn the situation for good to give Him glory. If Paul and Silas had started to lament in the prison and possibly abuse and curse God, God would not have intervened and the jailer would not have encountered Christ and the disciples would have rot in prison. Let us always leave matters in God’s hands.
PRAYER: Dear Father, may You help me to trust You in all situations and leave You to work out things good from them, Amen.
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