I know you have had close encounters with hurricanes and tornadoes. We are praying for the people in Canada and the northwest as they battle wildfires. But have you ever been through an earthquake? It is unsettling. My family and I experienced the “great earthquake” in Anchorage, Alaska right after we moved there. Later, my mom and I went through an earthquake in Missouri. Very scary.
God garnered the jailer’s undivided attention through the earthquake in Philippi. Trembling on his knees he asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Do you wonder what he meant? Saved from this powerful force or the consequences of my choice to beat and imprison Paul and Silas? We might describe his response as holy fear. An earthquake definitely confirms the fact that we are not in charge or control of our circumstances.
Who will save us from the powerful forces at work in our world? Paul and Silas answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.” Jesus is the answer to the question. In our trouble, we may trust him. Paul and Silas preached to the man and his family. Then this new believer washed the wounds he had inflicted on them. He and his household were baptized. Then he fed them and he was filled with joy because he and his whole family believed and were saved.
A popular song asks, “How to save a life?” Jesus. Jesus still saves those who trust in him. If we believe this, then we must bear witness. You don’t have to go through an earthquake to wonder, “How do I get saved?” Life is filled with earth-shattering experiences. When we wake up to wonder, our minds are open to the truth. Someday, some way, life will shake us up. When trouble comes, we trust in the only name that is able to save. Jesus. Take this truth with you today. Someone will need it!
