Oh Brothers, I'm sorry. I haven't submitted a devotion for a long time. In the midst of this pandemic, the onset of the holidays, and just getting busy, I haven't been getting this done. And in a fit of honesty, I've let my Bible study time devolve into a time of looking up things to prove something, rather than being devoted to a greater understanding of who God is and what He wants for me. As such, please accept my apologies.
One of the ways I've attempted to get myself back on track is with jumping into a study on the "RightNow Media" service available through FBC Gower. I encourage you to look into that, if you haven't already done so. The study I'm working through is by Matt Chandler on the book of Phillipians. Very good and this devotion was inspired by something in that study.
When I was a kid, my dad would tell me that sometimes the best way to deal with a person who is a problem is to "kill them with kindness." This was a hard lesson for me as so many of my friends and peers were taught to fight back.. And while I certainly had moments where I fought back, his words actually saved a few fights and gained friends for me. I was reminded of this while reading Acts 16. Paul and Silas were in Philippi where Paul had driven a demon out of a young girl. For his trouble, they were thrown in prison after being beaten. We'll pick up the story here... "25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”
Notice what is happening. In Philippi, Paul and Silas treat a prison guard with kindness and showing him God’s mercy. The man sees in them the difference between him and them and gives his life to Christ! Now, tie this with what he says in Philippians 1:21 “for me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.” By living for Christ while in prison, after having been beaten for driving out an evil spirit, Paul and Silas show the guard a better way. They could have run when the doors flew open, but they stayed. And in doing so, that guard and his whole household lived (for Christ) while their old life was put to death (gain). When we treat others with the grace and mercy that God has shown us, there can be no argument about our actions. And in doing so, we may just show someone a way of living that will change their eternity.