Suggested reading: Acts chapter 16 verses 16-34.

Our final question this week that only God can answer was asked in an unusual place. Two Christians, Paul and Silas, had been preaching the gospel in Macedonia. When they reached Philippi, they were falsely accused of causing unrest among the city. They were brought before the magistrates, who commanded them to be beaten and put in prison. They charged the jailer to keep them safe; therefore, he made doubly sure that they did not escape by putting them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in stocks. Undaunted, they knew they were safe in God’s care and, at midnight, they were heard praying and singing hymns to God. At this point, there was a massive earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations, opened the doors of the prisoners’ cells and loosed their chains.

As far as the jailer was concerned, the only solution for him was suicide. He had failed in his duty to guard the prisoners, especially Paul and Silas. Paul’s words of assurance were to change the course of his life forever: ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here’. He called for a light and asked Paul and Silas the most important question a person can ever ask: ‘SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?’ He was soon to realise that he needed more than natural light and physical salvation. His needs were spiritual and only God could provide the answer to his question: ‘BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND YOU WILL BE SAVED’.

Although these words came from the mouths of Paul and Silas, they were, in reality, ‘the word of the Lord’, verse 32; indeed, only He has the answer! Thankfully, the jailer and his household believed the message and were saved. What about you? It took an earthquake to bring the jailer to his senses. Elsewhere in Philippi there was a woman called Lydia and all the Lord had to do was gently open her heart and she was saved, verse 14. We all come to trust in the Lord for salvation in different ways but the important thing is to come and believe that Christ died for sinners!