Why This, Why Now

1 Thessalonians 2:1-2, “¹ For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. ² But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.”

If you have ever wondered why this, why now welcome to the crowd; God’s word teaches in vs. 1 that everything that we do for God has a purpose and something will come out of it that we might not be around when it becomes what God intended but our part was just to be obedient and submit to God’s call on our lives. Everything we do for God advances the kingdom no matter how simple or insignificant we might believe it to be. It also tells of sufferings and trials that Paul and Silas suffered in order to share the gospel while in Philippi. You can read the whole account in Acts 16 but I have shared some of it here.

Acts 16:23-24, “²³ And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴ Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.”

Paul and Silas have been thrown in Jail for casting a spirit out of a slave girl who could tell the future and it cost the owners a lot of money because she could no longer see the future. Scripture says Paul cast the spirit out because he became annoyed but God was still at work. God had a purpose and a place for them to be to perform another work of mercy and grace. That had they not cast out the spirit they would not have had this opportunity we read about in vs. 25-34.

Acts 16:25-34, “²⁵ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. ²⁷ And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
²⁹ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.

God had a plan and it required Paul and Silas to be at the prison in their trial and suffering God had a plan for the salvation of the jailer. Had they not been going through that at that moment the man and his whole family might have been lost and on their way to hell. We may not understand why we have to go through the stuff we do but God has a reason and one day we might see the purpose in it in the mean time we must submit to His leadership in our lives. He desires only the best for us but sometimes we must endure hardships to be about his calling for our lives. Have a blessed day. Allow God to use you as you go about you lives today and when trials comes hold on to the fact that He knows exactly where you are and what you are having to go through. He just might have a purpose you did not think about.