MONDAY

Acts 16:1-34

You’ve probably heard the phrase “no good deed goes unpunished.” Paul and Silas have one of those stories. After Paul frees an enslaved girl from a spirit, her owners lose income. They stir up the crowd, and Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown into prison. And yet that night, the sound coming from their cell is prayer and worship. Someone is always listening. Their circumstances didn’t change who they were. Then an earthquake opens doors and loosens chains. The jailer assumes the worst and prepares to take his life, until Paul stops him. Paul and Silas choose compassion over escape, and the jailer and his household are saved.

• To what extent do we take our cues from the circumstances we find ourselves in, rather than who God tells us we are?

• While most of us would rather not be in the midst of stories that include unjust suffering on our part, what hope, encouragement, and inspiration do you find in this story?

• Who are the people who surround us and are listening to how we respond to things when they do not go well for us?

• Why is how we respond to tough times so significant to our ability to share our faith with those around us?

• What speaks to you the most powerfully in this passage?

Take a few moments to share with God in prayer what is on your heart as you reflect on today’s passage.