Daily Devotionals

Day 4

January 12, 2023 • Psalm 119:105, Acts 16:6–10, Acts 9:10–19, Proverbs 3:5–6

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.’ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. And the eunuch said to Philip, ‘About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.” — Acts 8:26–31, 34–39

Day 5

January 13, 2023 • Colossians 3:16, Exodus 14:13–22, Psalm 150, Psalm 28

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.” — Acts 16:25–32 Paul and Silas are imprisoned for ministering in Philippi. They are beaten and held captive in a prison cell, their legs fastened to the floors, surrounded by other prisoners. With no windows to the outside, the inner cell where they were being kept was dark even during the day, so as midnight drew near all they could hear was the sound of chains and shackles. For many Christians around the world today, religious persecution and imprisonment is a very real threat. Others might not experience physical imprisonment, but an emotional or mental one. We all go through desperate times that we can’t overcome on our own. But in these dark times, God meets us with the miraculous. When Paul and Silas choose to trust God in the midst of their circumstance, the prisoners’ chains come undone, but that’s not all that happens. Through this miracle, the jailer is also set free. After witnessing this miracle and seeing the prisoners still in their cells, the jailer asks, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” He had seen the power and love of God firsthand. This miracle made an eternal impact in the life of the jailer and his family. It opened the door for the entire household to receive the gift of salvation. God has the power to set us free both physically and spiritually. What’s amazing is that, as we continue reading the story, we see the Holy Spirit divinely orchestrates for Paul and Silas to be released the next morning. Even in the most impossible situations, God does not forget about us. As Paul and Silas trust God, not only does he deliver them from prison but he also uses them to proclaim the gospel to an entire household.