Acts 16:29-34

This is such a wonderful turn of events. The jailer was about to kill himself because he thought all the prisoners had escaped, but Paul called out to let him know they were all still there. The gravity of the situation, coupled with Paul's quick thinking, saved not only this man but his entire household.

“What must I do to be saved?” Word must have gotten out as to why Paul and Silas had been incarcerated, so the earthquake was obviously viewed as more than just a coincidence. This man realized his endangered state before Almighty God—not unlike the centurion who stood at the foot of the cross after Jesus' crucifixion. Observing how Jesus died and witnessing the subsequent earthquake, he declared, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

There are times in life when circumstances unfold that are beyond the normal course of events, and we realize we are dealing with something far greater than meets the eye. Some things can only be explained by God. The jailer rightly perceived that he was dealing with more than just prisoners, and he wisely humbled himself before Paul and Silas and asked what he needed to do. Their answer was simple: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”

What a wonderful promise! True to Paul's words, this man and his family believed, and all were baptized. I imagine not one of them slept for the rest of the night. Keep in mind, all of this was taking place after midnight.

Sometimes God does things so miraculously that His presence cannot be denied. It is what we do in those moments that defines us. This man chose wisely and responded to the Lord, resulting in the salvation of his entire household.

How would we have responded?

What moments in our own lives have caused us to realize there is One greater than ourselves? Are we ready to meet Him?

Food for thought...

The story becomes even more interesting from here, but we'll pick it up tomorrow.