Stripped and Beaten
Acts 16:23-24 · Fresh Start: When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn
When Paul and Silas had been severely beaten, the authorities threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to secure them with great care. When he received these instructions, he threw them into the innermost cell and secured their feet in stocks. — Acts 16:23-24 (CEB)
Paul and Silas didn’t end up in prison because they made a mistake. They ended up there because they did the right thing — freeing a slave woman from a spirit that was being exploited for profit. Doing the right thing cost them their freedom, their dignity, and their physical safety. Sometimes faithfulness leads straight into the darkest cell. The midnight you’re sitting in right now may not be one you chose. It may have arrived because you stood up, spoke out, or simply refused to look the other way. The innermost cell feels like punishment, but the story isn’t over. God has never been intimidated by locked doors.
God of the innermost cell, when faithfulness leads to suffering, hold us steady. Christ, you know what it means to be punished for doing right. Holy Spirit, remind us that no darkness is beyond your reach. Amen.