Their joy was contagious, but it was also nonsensical. I had never seen anything like that before. After being beaten, tortured, and incarcerated, they still had it in their hearts to pray to their God and sing, sing! Who sings in a filthy cell with that kind of joy? They did.
The order was clear: watch them closely. They were a couple of Jesus’ followers breaking havoc in Roman territory. Why wasn’t I surprised?
I should have known strange things would happen that night. First, who in their right mind acts like that in a jail cell? Second, how come none of the other prisoners complained? Hearing spine-chilling cries from the innermost cell was usual; however, that night, I heard nothing but prayer, songs, and praise.
Midnight earthquake
Soon, I fell asleep. My prisoners were secure; there was no way they were getting away.
Then, the unthinkable happened: the earth began to shake violently. I woke up startled by the sound of bars and chains falling, and a horrific thought came to me. If these prisoners escaped, I would die executed by order of my superiors. Thinking I would rather spare me the humiliation, I pulled my sword to kill myself.
That’s when I heard Paul’s voice: “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” With a knot in my stomach, I asked for a light and hurried inside the cells. They were, in fact, all there; what kind of Spirit had possessed these prisoners that they chose to stay?
Falling to my knees, I asked Paul and his friend what I needed to do to be saved. He said to believe in Jesus Christ, and suddenly I understood. I understood their joy despite their circumstance, the other prisoners’ attitudes, and the miracle I had just witnessed.
Joy, a fruit of the Spirit
To experience joy amid trials is not humanly possible. It is only made possible through Christ, the true giver of joy. Contrary to happiness, joy is not fleeting because it’s not a feeling. When sadness focuses on the bad things that happen to us and happiness on the good things, joy focuses on the things God is capable of. It focuses on the peace that comes from knowing that God is taking care of me, whether I see it or not. Peace is the third fruit of the Spirit. We’ll talk about it next time!
Cultivating joy
A quote I like goes like this: “There is nothing to fear for the future except as we shall forget the way The Lord has led us and His teachings in our past history.” – E.W.
Keeping a gratitude journal is one way I have found that helps me stay focused on what God can do when facing trials instead of focusing on the trial itself. If you don’t have the habit, you can start small and choose one thing to be grateful for at the end of the day. Then, when trials come, you can look back on the way God has watched over you and rejoice in His love and power, no matter the circumstance!
This devotional is based on Acts chapter 16
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