He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6.

He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John 2:2.

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29.

Sometimes watching the news I am struck by how wrong everything feels. And Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, reminds me to remember His love always at work. He sees, He knows. Stay close to Him. And reading our chapter, Acts 16, I realize it’s so much like that for them, too, because these times we’re reading were the news of their day and God was actively working. Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. v. 1-3. I confess, I don’t understand that given what we read last chapter, but there it is. Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily. They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. v. 4-8. It’s hard to imagine receiving such an imperative no from the Holy Spirit or from Jesus, but remember, this is new ground and this is the work of Creator God. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. v. 9-10. Did you notice the author now speaks in present tense…we sought to go. So they set out and sail to Philippi, a Roman colony. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment. v. 13-18. This girl made money for her masters and they were upset that that revenue stream was gone. They had Paul and Silas seized and brought before the chief magistrates. They beat them with rods and threw them into prison, v. 19-24. Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns of praise to God! The prisoners were listening. Can we imagine what that was like for the prisoners? And suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” v. 26-30. Again, don’t just read words…what was happening? Paul and Silas have been beaten and thrown into a prison and are singing and praising God when an earthquake shakes everything loose that would not have shaken loose without God intervening for them. Did the jailer fear the prisoners would harm him or that the Romans would for losing the prisoners? Was the jailer listening as they sang hymns of praise to God? And Paul’s answer? The Gospel which is good news for all of us. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. v. 31-34. At daybreak, the chief magistrates gave the order to free Paul and Silas. Paul would have none of it because he was a Roman citizen by birth and no Roman citizen could be beaten without trial. When that was reported back to the magistrates, they were afraid! They went to them personally and appealed to them and brought them out of the prison and Paul and Silas returned to the home of Lydia to encourage the brethren there before departing the area, v. 35-40. They encouraged the brethren! How we all of us need encouragement! The way of darkness then and now is chaos and confusion. God’s light is hope and truth in Him. Hold fast to what is good and see the beauty the darkness cannot conceal. The light of God’s love shines always…Hold fast to God and rejoice because He IS! Look at what they experienced as they were introduced to Creator God in such a dramatic way. God intervening in our lives brings a joy nothing else can. And it opens up the way for us to be with one another in a shared closeness of love for God – that God brings. That is dramatic! Can we see the prisons we are all bound in before God intervenes dramatically in our own lives? And we rejoice even as we are shaken and stunned because now our walk begins with Him and it’s personal and needed and good. And it is in our walk with Him that we grow to know we can trust Him always and for all things. He is our comfort and our peace and it is in Him and blessings of joy…it is Him with us always!