By Eleyitope Linus ARANNILEWA
“And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.” Acts 16:33 NKJV
Believers who have cause to go through pain can console themselves with the truth of Scripture that God does not take pleasure in their misery. Lamentations 3:33 says, “For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.” (NLT). Moreover, whenever God allows any of His children to endure difficulties, it is because He can redeem it for some good ultimately. This fact played out in our text.
For a good job done on a damsel, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into jail for delivering a demon-possessed girl. How did they handle that experience?
They did not question God. They rose in the middle of the night to sing praises to God, and pray.
In response, the Lord sent an earthquake to rend the prison asunder.
Their bonds were loosed; but they did not hurry for the exit door.
Had they done that they would not have seen the full end God had in mind for that incident.
The jailor, seeing the miracle, believed, and his entire household with him.
As believers we can handle our pains in one of two ways – immature way or with maturity. Immaturity is when we begin to question, “why me?” or wondering, “how long?”
A more mature way will be to ask, “What?” This is trying to find out what purpose God wants to make out of the unjust treatment we have received and of the pain we bear.
It is amazing to find in the case of Paul and Silas that their brief pain resulted in deliverance for several individuals.
If your pain produced either salvation or peace or healing in someone else’s life, then you have not suffered in vain. Viewed in the right perspective, even our troubles can be instruments in God’s hands.
Further Study: Romans 8:18-28
Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to put a correct interpretation on all the issues around me.
Good Morning God’s Holy People.
Grace to You.
MORNING DEW, Tuesday, July 30, 2024
