Grace Falls Down and Covers Me

Acts 16: 22-31

22 The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.

23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;

24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

26 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.

27 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.

28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!"

29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,

30 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

I was just reminded of a skit that my Uganda team practiced for our trip to Africa.  It was the Paul skit.  I think I played the role of the jailer.  This story is simply amazing in so many aspects.  First, there's the persecution of Paul and Silas.  They get thrown in jail for driving out a demon from a possessed slave girl.  The slave masters get super angry because the demon-possessed girl had been a source of income.  But despite their persecution, Paul and Silas sing praises to God.  They rejoice in their persecution as they share in Christ's suffering.  What faith and dedication to God!  If only I had even a small snippet of their faith.  Next comes the crazy earthquake, demonstrating God's awesome power.  But the best part of the story comes with the jailer's response.  At first, he wants to commit suicide because he had failed his duty.  Yet by the grace of God, he is stopped and saved by Paul.   The jailer is not only saved physically, but more importantly his soul is saved.  Paul shares with him the gospel, and the jailer believes.  Praise God.  His grace is amazing.  The jailer felt it that night.  I feel it everyday and am eternally grateful for it.