The Sudden Power of Almighty God

Acts 16:26

Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

Paul and Silas were preaching the gospel in Philippi when they were stripped of their clothes, beaten with rods and placed in the inner prison with their feet fastened in stocks.  Their situation sure seemed pretty dire, but they did not lose their joy.  At the end of a day of great personal trial, they were observed praying and singing hymns around the midnight hour.

Suddenly, there was a great response from the heavens that freed Paul and Silas and led to the salvation of the jailer and his family.  It is important to notice the use of the word “suddenly.”  It is used throughout scripture to announce dramatic life changing events purposefully orchestrated by Almighty God.  Here are just a few other examples:

In Acts 9:3 - As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light ...

In Acts 2:2 - Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came ...

In Luke 2:13 - Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared ...

As we approach the new year, we should go forward without fear and doubt.  In His Holy Word, God inspired the writers to call out the many ways that He wields His power on our behalf.  All of the recorded demonstrations of God’s sudden power should give us hope for every situation in which we find ourselves.  But be certain not to miss the actions of Paul and Silas.  They never lost their joy.  They were still praying and singing hymns in the aftermath of severe suffering in their lives.  Surely, we have a role to play in calling the "suddenly's" of Almighty God into our lives.  Indeed, we are called to maintain our joy and continue in praise and prayer as we wait on Our Heavenly Father to intercede on our behalf.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for being our all-sufficient Lord.  We bless the name of Jesus whose death on the Cross gained victory for us over everything that the enemy tries to bring against us.  We rejoice in knowing that You will release Your power in our lives exactly and suddenly when we need it.  We pray, Father, that we will be given the grace to find joy in every trial.  We ask that we be given the strength to continue in prayer and praise when everything seems to be falling apart around us.  We ask all these things in the name of our refuge from the storm, Jesus Christ.