Have you ever wondered about some of the
people in the bible who may not even be named but you wonder what happened to
them. Paul and Silas in Acts 16 are beaten, flogged and put in chains and
thrown in jail. They are praying and singing hymns to God about midnight when
an earthquake happens, their chains fall off and the doors open. Now it says
that the prisoners had been listening to them. I am betting this praying and
singing went on for some time. I can imagine some of the prisoners complaining wanting
them to keep quiet and maybe some of them snickering and making wise cracks but
as midnight approached they were listening. Had the time and words finally sunk
in. Did Paul and Silas just plant seeds of faith? The earthquake and escape are
like the water and fertilizer all at once. Did the other prisoners leave,
racing to their homes and telling of what they heard and witnessed? Were they
forever changed just because they were in that prison with Paul and Silas? We
don’t know. There are many things we just don’t know. It would be impossible to
write every story of every person who encountered or experience Jesus or the
early church. A lot will remain a mystery. Paul and Silas may never have seen
these prisoners again until heaven. Maybe the prisoners greeted Paul and Silas
when they entered Heaven and shared with them their story that started the
night in that prison. Perhaps one day we will have people we have touched,
encouraged, loved and cared for and shared with about Jesus that will come to
us in Heaven and share their story with their own Seed Sower.
Lord, We don’t know the plans you have
for any of us but I do know you love us in ways we cannot ever understand. Lead
me to be a Seed Sower of your love and truth. Amen.
Acts
16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them.
