Words of Grace © 2009 FamiliesAlive® Word 2/Chapter 6/It Happened at Midnight

Word #2 Chapter 6

Words of Grace

It Happened at Midnight

The pain kept them awake. The beating earlier that day made their shoulders and back hurt terribly. The two men could not sleep because they hurt so much.

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They looked around the jail cell – it was dark and empty. Even if they wanted to sleep, there weren’t any beds for them. As horribly as they felt, lying on the cold floor was not an option.

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So, instead of sleeping as the clock came close to midnight – like most people do…

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Paul and Silas worshipped. They did not complain about how unfair the leaders had been to them. They did not grumble, even though they shouldn’t have been thrown in jail. They prayed and sang songs of praise to the LORD.

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The jailer had long since fallen asleep.

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Other prisoners could not believe what they were hearing – who would sing in jail? Jail was a terrible place to be. But it wasn’t long before those other prisoners joined in and worshipped the LORD with Paul and Silas. The prayers and songs encouraged them and they were drawn into the worship of God that filled the prison.

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This was a place with bars and locks and chains. It seemed like a strange place to worship the One True God.

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The time was almost midnight – the middle of the night. It seemed like a strange time to worship the One True God.

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The two men who led the singing and praying and praising were men who had been arrested and beaten earlier that day. It seemed strange that these men were worshipping the One True God.

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Paul and Silas knew that any time is a good time to worship the LORD; any place is a good place to worship the LORD.

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Even though they had been treated unfairly, even though they were in a lot of pain, even though they were in a lot of trouble, Paul and Silas knew it was good to worship the LORD.

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They had been taught the second Word of Grace – Worship. It is good to worship only the LORD!

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Suddenly, at midnight, the earth began to shake.

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The walls of the jailhouse cracked. The roof crumbled and fell. The walls tumbled down. The prison doors flew open.

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Paul and Silas stumbled to their feet, looked down and noticed that even their chains had broken to pieces.

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The jailer was awakened by the earthquake. He was sure the prisoners had all escaped. He knew that if any of his prisoners had gotten away, he would be put to death – that was the law.

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Oh, the jailer was afraid. He did not want to be killed, so he decided to kill himself.

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Still sitting in the jail cell, Paul and Silas saw what the jailer was about to do. “Don’t hurt yourself!” Paul shouted. “We are all here!”

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The jailer knew that Paul and Silas were men who loved the LORD. He asked, “Tell me what should I do to be saved?” The two friends replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your family.”

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The jailer was so excited about this that he took Paul and Silas home with him.

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Late into the night, they taught the jailer and his family about the LORD and his Word. The jailer was so moved that he washed the bloody wounds on Paul and Silas.

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Then he and his family were baptized – they believed in the LORD!

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When daylight came, the leaders of the town realized that they had made a mistake when they threw Paul and Silas into jail. They ordered the jailer to let the two missionary friends go. With joy in his heart the jailer told Paul, “The town leaders have ordered that you and Silas be let go. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

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Paul and Silas left the city. They kept in touch with their new friends and they wrote to each other. The jailer and his family began to worship the LORD with other families in that city. Those who believed in the LORD God continued to meet together and formed a new church. The new church remembered what Paul and Silas knew – that it is always good to worship the LORD. Even in a jail. Even at midnight. Even when you are hurting. Even during an earthquake!

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Note to Families: Of course, all of us fail to keep the commandments the way we should. Our only hope is Jesus Christ. Begin talking now about what the Lord has done and is doing to rescue us from our sin and to help us please Him. In Word of Grace #4, REST, we will learn that already in this life we can rest every day in our Savior Jesus Christ.