The beloved physician Luke shared as Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke himself went, “to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying”. Paul and Silas delivered the damsel from the evil spirit, “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 jailer 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”, and in chapter sixteen and verse twenty-eight of the book of Acts Luke shared how, “Paul cried with a loud void, saying, Do yourself no harm” where we read:
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm: for we are all here.
The verse begins, “But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm:” Luke began with the words, “but Paul” which means “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover Paul whose name means small or little” “cried with a loud voice” or “spoke with a strong and abundant sound and tone”, “saying” which means “uttering, declaring and proclaiming” “do yourself no harm” or “do not injure, be pernicious or injurious to your own self”. Luke shared how “Paul” intervened before the “jailer” committed suicide and shouted for him not to “injure” himself.
The verse goes on to say, “for we are all here.” Luke continued with the words, “for we” or “because, since and on account that we prisoners and captives” “are all here” which means “are each, every, the whole and everyone in this place and location”. Luke shared how “Paul” told the “jailer” that every one of the “captives” were still in the “prison”.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Paul” stopped the “jailer” from committing suicide. Rather than kill himself because all the prisoners supposedly had escaped, Paul let him know they remained in the “prison”. God had a plan, and He was working it out. This “jailer” was about to have a life changing event, and because the natural occurrence of an “earthquake” appeared in his life, He was soon to know Jesus as his personal “Savior and Lord”. God loves people, and He will use circumstances and people to alter their path toward His Son Jesus. Those who are wise will see the hand of God in this “jailer's” life, and if they have not surrendered to Jesus, let today be the day that alters their life forever and ever.
Next time Luke shares how the prison keeper, “fell down before Paul and Silas”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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