Short Devotion: The One Thing - Acts 16:29-31

 

There’s a story in the Bible in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Acts where the great missionaries Paul and Silas end up in prison. During the night, an earthquake occurs and all of the jail doors suddenly open. It’s a great opportunity for all of the prisoners to escape and when jailer sees this, he tries to kill himself because he knows he will be held accountable and his family publicly shamed for allowing prisoners to escape. But Paul and Silas stop him from committing suicide and tell him all is well. In verses 29-31, we read these amazing words of response:

Acts 16:29-31 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (NIV)

At the heart of Christianity, there is one important issue that we all have to remind ourselves constantly: we need to be saved. We all do things that offend God – there is not one of us exempt from that, no matter how good, faithful, or religious we may be. Those offenses pile up throughout our lives, so unless we find a remedy to forgive us of those sins, we will be separated from God forever. We cannot rescue ourselves from this predicament; we need someone else to save us and there is only one person in history who can do that: Jesus.

At the moment, we’re looking for someone to rescue us from the plight of this pandemic. Or we need someone to boldly lead us through this unparalleled time. But even if someone discovers a cure or a leader emerges in a time of crisis, it still leaves us separated from God. No matter what happens in the world, there is still a gap between us and God. If we ignore it, we doom ourselves. If we currently set it aside and promise to get back to it, we run the risk of doing too little, too late.

In this age of uncertainty, the right time to get right with God is now – as you are reading or viewing this message. And God, who is always gracious, makes it easy for us – all we have to do is to confess to Him in prayer that we’ve messed up, made mistakes, and selfishly sinned. After that, we can ask Jesus to forgive us of our past and place our lives, hearts, and souls into His hands. If we simply do that, then we are showing God that we believe Jesus is our Savior and instantly the gap will be bridged and the breach between us will be closed.

It sounds too good to be true and too simple to be effective and yet here’s the reality: it works.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to close the gap between ourselves and God. Save us from being separated forever and restore us to God’s gracious love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Thank you for viewing and reading this message. May God bless all of your hopes and dreams. Bye for now 😊

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to read more about the church, please visit the website at www.erinpres.org.

Joyful devotion: Filled with Joy - Acts 16:34

Acts 16:34       The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

            Before he became the great reformer, Martin Luther was terrified of God. He believed that God was out to get him, especially during thunderstorms. He suffered mentally and emotionally, as well as spiritually. He constantly went to Confessions, sometimes for six hours at a time! His priestly confessor, Johann von Staupitz complained that Martin was wearing him out. He often tried to explain to Luther about the grace of God and that Christ had died for every one of his sins. All that Martin needed to do was to trust Jesus and love God. But Luther would not believe it. Instead, he continued to be afraid and feared Christ as a terrifying judge.

            Thankfully, there came a momentous time in Luther’s life when he realized that God’s grace was more than sufficient to allow Martin to stop torturing himself and be forgiven. His fear was replaced with faith; Christ’s judgement was exchanged for real joy.

            In today’s passage, (Acts 16:25-40) we can read about a jailer who was so terrified that he strongly thought about killing himself. The words of hope from Paul and Silas, as well as God’s grace turned his life around. After being baptized, along with the rest of his family and household, the jailer experienced the real and lasting joy that God brings to people who believe in Jesus for the first time. Paul and Silas were God’s chosen servants to bring about this remarkable conversion. The jailer received Christ’s spirit in his heart, encountered God’s grace, and embraced the Spirit’s love. For the very first time in his whole life, the jailer knew what it was to be forgiven of his sins, released from his fears, and restored to God’s Kingdom.

            We all go through times of doubt, fear, and low esteem. We all battle with the world and feel unworthy. We all have shameful secrets and past regrets. If we dwell on them, we will become as miserable as sin; however, if we dwell on God’s gracious love, like Luther and the jailer from the past, our fear will disappear and Christ’s joy will reunite us to Him.

Questions for reflection

Am I afraid of God? Am I willing to find peace and joy in Jesus?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we confess that we are sinful and selfish, prone to stubborn pride and tempted every day. Forgive us for being faithless and fearful; help us to seek God’s grace, joy, and love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com. John is always interested in your thoughts. And, if you ever find yourself in Knoxville on a Sunday morning, the people at Erin will make you feel welcome and will be delighted to worship with you.

Today’s image is John’s latest Nativity drawings called “The Child.”. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Child.