February 3, 2011 - Acts 16:28

“But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’” Acts 16:28.
While in a Philippian jail, Paul and Silas, as well as the other prisoners, were released from their cells by an earthquake. Upon discovering that all the prison doors were open and all the prisoners most likely had escaped, the jailer was going to kill himself. This was going to happen because the jailer’s authorities would have held him responsible for the prisoners escape and would have certainly had the jailer put to death. Knowing that this was the case, Paul shouted to the jailer that none of the prisoners had escaped. All of this happened in the dark, as there was no light in the jail. Paul kept his head about him in the midst of very stressful circumstances to the point of saving the jailer’s life at just the right time.
In reflection, I thought about how Paul handled this very stressful situation in his life. Remember all the circumstances that he and Silas found themselves in? I, then, thought about how far away I am from handling this kind of stress, as well as having as clear a mind as Paul had under stress. Paul and Silas had just prior to the earthquake been praying and singing songs of praise to God. This connection must not have been merely a religious thing to them. It must have been a real lifeline for them, connecting them to a God who loved them and cared about their circumstances. And they absolutely needed this connection. I believe that this was the only way that Paul and Silas could have handled the extreme stresses they faced.
Questions to consider: How do you handle stressful situations? Do you find yourself having genuine connection with God through prayer or singing, or do you get all stressed out and tense up? How can you begin to handle stressful situations in a more clear-minded manner? Is there any action step that you can take in your connection with God?
Prayer: Father, help me to connect with You in such a deep, life-giving way that it affects the way that I handle stressful situations. Amen.