Paul: The Prison

Acts 16: 25 (NIVUK)

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose.

At this time, Paul had left Neapolis and travelled to Philippi with companions preaching the Gospel and seeing miracles. Being sent to prison cannot have been part of Paul’s plan and might have felt like a massive and potentially pointless detour in doing God's work in the area. 

When I finished my gap year, I wasn't entirely convinced about going to Uni. I prayed about what I should do and pushed a few doors, but the only one that opened and stayed open was going to Bath Uni to do an economics degree. After one year, I left, generally having hated most of my time there. 

Yet when we look at what happened to Paul in this 'in-between', we can see God’s miracle. This 'in-between' would have been uncomfortable, restricting and cruel, yet whilst Paul praised and sang hymns (maybe we can update this to Gas Street Music!), we read that there was a violent earthquake that opened all the prison doors. Paul’s choice not to use that opportunity to escape the 'in between', resulted in the guard being saved, and his household. 

Now I am not saying my time in Bath was a prison (!) but it did seem like an unnecessary detour for my life. At the time, I couldn’t see the point or why I went there. Now, looking back, I can see the purpose of my time there, but if I am honest, I am not sure I was always faith-filled and praising God during that time, like Paul. 

Paul’s 'in-between' shows us that God loves to do miracles in those moments, that those moments can be where God meets with people unexpectedly, and it is all underpinned by praise. 

Prayer - Father God, help us to embrace the uncomfortable in between, to praise you regardless and look for the miracles in those moments.