Keep Trusting Him

Acts 16:9-34, `And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.’

Hold still, help is on the way.

God sends Paul to Macedonia to go minister to the people.

He and Silas go, and on their way, they meet Lydia. Lydia attends to their needs; and she, and her household, were baptized.

Continuing on, a young woman, with a spirit of divination, daily followed them around telling of who they were, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.” Paul, being grieved, casts the spirit out of her, delivering her.

They were then detained out of malice, beaten, and put into prison. While in prison, at midnight, they prayed and praised, and the prisoners heard them. God then shook the prison, the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed. God brought deliverance to the captives in the prison: naturally and spiritually.

The prison guard goes to see if anyone is still there. When he finds out that they are all there, he asks Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved.

Understand, Paul and Silas’ crime to be imprisoned was that, as the young woman that was possessed declared throughout the city, that they were men who were the servants of the most high God, which would show them the way of salvation. Because that was their crime, as God caused the earthquake which opened doors and loosed shackles; the prison guard then knew that they did truly serve the true and living God, and therefore, wanted to know what he must do to be saved.

And so was the man saved and baptized; him, and his household.

Keep trusting Him. He will bring to pass His will. Wait on Him to do it for you.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You. Thank You for everything! Thank You for attending to our needs. Thank You for daily loading us with benefits. Thank You for blessing us to walk each day in divine health and healing. Thank You for endowing us with Your joy which is our strength. Thank You for enlarging our hearts with Your Word. Thank You for ordering our steps, establishing our path, and blessing Your Word to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway. Now Lord, I ask that You would continue to undergird Your people in hope that we may continually trust You and wait on You to do what You have said. Thank You for healing for every disease, deliverance from every affliction, and the manifestation of all Your promises. This, Lord God, we ask and thank You, in Jesus’ name, amen.

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