Today’s Bible Reading:
Leviticus 10-12; Acts 16
Topic: Joy
SCRIPTURE: Acts 16:20-31
20 They
brought them (Paul and Silas) before
the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city
into an uproar 21 by
advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
22 The crowd
joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them
to be stripped and beaten. 23
After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the
jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner
cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other
prisoners were listening to them. 26
Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison
were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains
came loose. 27 The jailer
woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about
to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted,
"Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
29 The jailer
called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out
and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 They
replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your
household." (Acts 16:20-31 NIV)
OBSERVATION:
As Paul and Silas sat chained in that jail cell they were
anything but comfortable. Their backs ached from the beating they had received.
The stocks around their feet were no decorative anklets, they were hard, heavy
and cold. The jail itself was not a comfy room; it was dark, damp and drafty.
Such were the external conditions. However, Paul and Silas had something on the
inside which could not be touched by external things. So full of the presence
of the Lord were they that they began to rejoice and sing praises.
APPLICATION:
That is incredible! How could they still have joy after
having been so severely and unjustly mistreated? The answer to that question
for them, and for Christians today, lies in the fact that true joy is realized
only by the presence of the Lord. It may reside within us whether or not we may
be enjoying the temporal comforts of life. The joy of the Lord is not derived
by conditions or things that come to us or surround us from the outside; it is
the by-product of the presence of Jesus that resides within believers.
Wow! Even in the midst of physical suffering the joy of the
Lord can still be manifest in my life!
PRAYER:
Lord, I confess that I often live more for the comfort of my
flesh than for the maturing of my spirit. Thank You for this reminder that You
reside within me as my Lord, Savior and Friend. Whatever comes to me from
outside of myself, whether comfort or pain, cannot alter the joy of Your
presence within me. It is joy untouchable. May that be what flows out of me for
others to see and be blessed. For my best and for Your glory. Amen. -AP
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