Scripture for today: Job 11; Job 12; Acts 15; Acts 16 (New International Version)
Scripture-My special verse today: Acts 16:25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
Observation: After being imprisoned for preaching the gospel, Paul and Silas are put in prison in chains. They are still praising God and letting their faith shine through. During the night, an earthquake happens that shakes the ground and all the prison gates open. The jailer knows that if the prisoners are gone, he will be blamed and killed so he decides to take his own life instead.
However, Paul and Silas do not leave and, instead, witness to the jailer. He and his whole family are saved.
Application: Is it more important to be free or faithful? For Paul and Silas, they were already free even when they were in the prison. They did not feel they anything to run from when the prison gates were opened. One must feel that they have something to escape if they are to run immediately. However, a soul was more important to them than freedom.
Do I see souls as more important than personal freedom? Are people worthy of our time and the cost to our own comfortable lives? Am I willing to forgo my own comforts to save a soul?
Prayer: Lord, let me see people as you do-souls in need of you.
Categories: Acts
Tagged: Freedom
Scripture for today: Jeremiah 33; Jeremiah 34; Psalm 74; 1 John 5
Scripture-My special verse today: Jeremiah 34:17 ”Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the LORD -’freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.
Observation: God has told the people to free their slaves. Supposedly they are turning toward God after years of not following him. The time has come in God’s eyes for a show of their convictions, not just lip service. He calls them to free their slaves which they willfully do. However, soon afterwards they enslave them again. They are willing to be obedient – but only for a short time and when it doesn’t cost them anything. When they refuse to truly obey, he gives them their “freedom”, but not the kind of freedom they thought they were getting.
Application: Freedom always comes at a cost. It is not enough for me to say I want to follow Jesus. No, I must truly follow him in all ways and for however long it takes. When God calls me to do something, he wants me to do it all the way and not back out when the cost is high. No, to truly obey for me means I have to stick to it. Stick-to-it is not something that comes very easily for me. I tend to get really excited about it at first but soon fall away. I need to practice long-term obedience to God so that my freedom is truly freedom.
Prayer: Lord, let me turn to you and love you with an obedience that does not declare a time or cost stamp to decide if it is for me or not. Let me be true to you and serve you no matter what.
Categories: Jeremiah
Tagged: Freedom
