Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria Grace for Living Devotional Thursday September 14, 2023 TOPIC: NO ROOM FOR MURMURING AND COMPLAINING

BIBLE READING:

ACTS 16:22-34

22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.  

KEY VERSE:

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25  

MEDITATION:

We know that murmuring and complaining do not really solve any problem. People murmur and complain to show that they are dissatisfied, disappointed, discouraged and discontented. The unfortunate thing is that it is not healthy for God’s people. Rather than helping anybody, it harms everybody (1 Corinthians 10:10).  

Naturally, most non-Christian believers are hostile to genuine practitioners of faith in Jesus Christ, as they pose a big threat to Satan and his cohorts. In today’s bible reading, Paul and Silas did what every believer ought to do when persecuted and mistreated for preaching Christ. Paul had just cast out some demons from a slave girl who was acting to distract their outreach in Philippi. The freed girl’s masters were angry because their hope of profit was gone. They seized Paul and Silas, dragged them to the magistrates and lied that they were causing trouble in the city. The magistrates commanded them to be beaten and were thrown into jail. At midnight, instead of murmuring and complaining, they prayed and praised God.   

Suddenly, God showed up with an earthquake which shook the prison’s foundation, opened all the doors and broke their chains. The jailer thinking that the prisoners had all escaped drew his sword to kill himself, but Paul stopped him with an assurance that they were all still intact. In the process, the jailer and his household were saved and baptised. God performs wonders when we pray and praise him in tough times.   

Why would you think murmuring and grumbling will solve any problem?  

PRAYER:

Oh Lord, deliver me from the spirit of murmuring and grumbling.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

PROVERBS 1-3, 1 CORINTHIANS 16