As a young girl I grew up in Yuma, Az, home of the famous Yuma Territorial Prison.
It was a horrible place. One where they sent the worst offenders. I remember going to those ruins as a child. It was a tourist attraction, somewhere we took all our visiting relatives.
When I was in High School we continued to go up to Prison Hill to tour the buildings and the grounds. You see our High School mascot was a “criminal”. We were known as the Yuma Crims because when the High School was started they used the abandoned prison as its classrooms.
But as an adult I took time to think about the horrendous conditions those prisoners and guards must have endured. The heat, the darkness of the cells, the venomous desert creatures, the lack of ventilation. The heat!
Drawing from that history, I have tried to think of what it must have been like to be imprisoned during Bible days. The conditions really couldn’t have been any better and in fact, may have been much worse.
Now think of those who were innocent and imprisoned. How hopeless they must have felt. Needing someone to believe their innocence and fight for their release. How could those conditions be anything but devastating?
Paul & Silas had been beaten and imprisoned on many occasions for speaking about the good news of Christ’s saving power, the gospel. In Acts 16 they are once again imprisoned. Once again they were praising God for being counted worthy to be treated with contempt for the Gospel’s sake.
And as they praised God, the place was shaken – the prison doors came open, their chains fell off and they were freed, they and all the other prisoners around them. The jailer was distraught and ready to take his life when Paul called to him out of the night and told him they were all there. No one had escaped.
Then Paul & Silas shared the Gospel with the jailer and he and his entire household were saved! Paul & Silas were always ready to talk of the love of Jesus and they were greatly persecuted for it. But they also saw great evidence of God’s power working on their behalf.
They could sing at midnight in a jail cell after being beaten because they knew nothing in their lives, bad or good, could even begin to compare to the love God had shown them through His wonderful gift of salvation. They didn’t flee from the prison cell when their chains fell off because they were already free – free from sin, free from man’s opinions, free to live a life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
“After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully. 24 The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. 26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.
27 When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! No one has escaped.”
29 The jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. 30 After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?”31 They replied, “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home.”
32 Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord. 33 While it was still night, the jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and bruises. Then he and everyone in his home were baptized. 34 They were very glad that they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas to his home and gave them something to eat.” Acts 16:23-34 CEV
Father, show me how to sing at midnight. Let me praise You in my toughest moments. Remind me that in all things You have the power to open the prison door. I am free because You purchased my freedom.
“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free for sure.” John 8:36 NLV