Something that really matters Acts 16:16-25

God wired us with an internal desire for more. The satisfaction for this desire is only found in Him. This is why I'm devoted to something that really matters - God and finding out his desire for my life. With this in mind I'm reading the Bible. Join me at the beginning of each month I'll post a portion of what I'm studying. With the Lord's blessing we will continue to uncover what really matters -- God's will for our lives.

I'm using a real simple system to focus in on the text. I'll read and listen to the text and ask what God might be leading me to Be thankful for, Confess, Ask, or Do. I'll journal out what's on my heart and mind. I invite you to do the same.

Our Bible reading continues...(Acts 16:16-25)

"Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."
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When I read through this section I hear Paul and the other believers doing what Christians do, gather together for encouragement and prayer. The girl with a demon speaks out the truth but Paul is annoyed by it. Perhaps because everyone knew she was demon possessed and that would give the wrong impression of who Jesus is and what he stands for. Paul drives that demon out and perhaps this servant girl becomes the 2nd named person to be converted in Philippi. Interestingly enough Lydia most likely rich from her title and this servant girl are the people mentioned. God doesn’t play favorites based on social/economic status. What a crazy beginning for this Church at Philippi!
Paul did what was right by driving out that servant girl. The men who were using her were filled with anger over their earthly loss of money. They drag Paul and Silas to the magistrate with trumped up charges. (Not to mention a bit of racism, "these… Jews".) It's hard to imagine how unfair it must have felt for Paul and Silas, having done the right thing, to be severely flogged and locked in prison. Yet they were, praying and singing hymns to God. Awesome! I want some of the boldness and faith that God gave to Paul and Silas.

This text leads me to
Be thankful for...
God reaches out to all different kinds of social statuses - the rich and poor alike. I'm also thankful that our country doesn't currently persecute Christians to the extant as was seen in this text.
Confess...
It is far too easy for me to complain or get angry when things don't work out or the kids do something wrong. I spend more time whining than being thankful for a God who loves me and has heaven waiting for me.
Ask...
Give me boldness like Paul and Silas so that in the face of injustice I would have a level head and be grounded and safe in you. Lord, I also pray for those Christians in other parts of the world that are suffering at the hands of ISIS and other groups. Give them boldness to stand firm. Protect them that they would continue to live and be a testimony to the power of your grace.
Do...
Lord lead me to do what I know needs to be done, not just what is comfortable to do.

Those are my thoughts. Please read through the text one more time and let me know if you notice anything else.