Connecting life’s dots . . .

Yesterday God’s word was about the way God leads, using everything for His purposes. Nothing is coincidence. I titled my record of this, “God led me all the way” based on an old hymn and put the words of that hymn at the end I wrote. When I came downstairs to post it, iTunes radio was playing “God led me all the way.” I’ve not heard that hymn for at least 40 years! Coincidence? I don’t think so. It was God smiling!

The book I’m reading says that Acts gives background for Paul’s epistles. Whatever happened to him in his missionary journeys offers insight into the letters he later wrote to the churches he founded and visited. Today, the focus is on Philippi. Acts tells what happened when he went there. This is a brief outline from chapter 16:

We set sail from Troas (winding up in) Philippi . . . where we remained some days. On Sabbath day we went . . . to the riverside . . . a place of prayer and . . .  spoke to the women there. One was . . .  Lydia from Thyatira, a seller of purple goods who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to Paul’s words. She and her household were baptized. She urged us, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.”

As we later went to pray, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. Her owners made money by her by fortune-telling ability. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” She did this for many days. Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

When her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them . . .  before the magistrates saying, “These men are Jews, disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”

The crowd joined in attacking them. The magistrates tore their garments off and ordered them to be beaten with rods. When they had inflicted many blows, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. He put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake that shook the prison’s foundations. 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 to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul loudly cried, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer . . . 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” speaking God’s Word to them all. The jailer . . .  washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he took them home, fed them and rejoiced.

The magistrates sent police telling them they were free to go. However, Paul said, “They have beaten us publicly without reason. We are Roman citizens they threw into prison and now they throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.”

This terrified the magistrates so they apologized, then released them. They visited Lydia, encouraged all the believers, then left. (Acts 16:11–40)

Later, Paul wrote the epistle Philippians to the believers in that city from his imprisonment in Rome. It was a letter of joy, telling them that being in prison advanced the Gospel throughout the imperial guard and that other Christians became bold to speak the Word. He told them several times to rejoice in the Lord, press on in faith, and keep their eyes confidently on Jesus. His experience showed him that they could:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4–7)

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I can see that it was no coincidence that Paul was first jailed in Philippi — he could write this letter of rejoicing from another jail to the believers there, encouraging them! This man was an expert at connecting the dots and seeing Your hand leading him through life. He knew that in any and every circumstance, the secret of facing whatever happened was the reality of Your care . . . “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:10–13)