We're going to read two amazing stories. One story took place more than 2,000 years ago, and the other one happened not long ago. Both show God's unchanging power and His unchanging promise to work for us.
First let's read the book of
Acts 16:23-30. Paul and Silas were in a jail cell in Rome when God's power released them.
"And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Now read of an event from about 80 years ago when God's power was used to release some Christian prisoners.
In the 1940s, Christians from a church in Ethiopia were persecuted for teaching God’s Word. Several of the church leaders, including a man named Toro, were taken to the marketplace, stripped, and beaten. Then they were thrown into jail where their jailers taunted them for believing in God. One day, as the Christians in prison were praying and singing a terrible storm came. The wind blew with such force that the iron roof of the prison was torn completely off. The rain and wind destroyed the prison walls, allowing all of the non-Christian prisoners to flee. The terrified jailers, convinced that the storm was from God, begged Toro to pray for God to withhold His anger and remove the storm. After he prayed, the storm lifted and the rain stopped. The jailers trusted in Jesus that day and released the Christians from prison.
What does the story from God's Word (Acts 16:23-30) and the story of the Christians in Ethiopia have in common? (
God's people were in jail, and they were singing and praising God; God caused the walls to crumble. Jailers saw the power of God.)
Of course, not every person imprisoned for his faith is freed by an act of God, but these two incidents show that God's power to work is the same today as it was during Bible times. He never changes! You can count on Him!
WHY DOES THIS MATTER:
Because God Never Changes, I can trust Him to work in amazing ways even today!
TAKING ACTION:
Talk with God. Thank God for His Word (the Bible) and the fact that He is still at work today. Ask Him to help you see His unchanging power in your life.
