The Whole House

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading, titled The Whole House, was written by Wynn Collier. Wearing a striped jumpsuit, James walked across the steamy jail gym and climbed into the portable pool where he was baptized by the prison chaplain. James' joy multiplied, however, when he heard that his daughter, Brittany, also an inmate, had been baptized that same day in the same water. When they realized what had happened, even the staff got emotional.

There wasn't a dry eye, the chaplain said. In and out of jail for years, Brittany and her dad both wanted God's forgiveness, and together, God gave them new life. Acts 16 describes another prison encounter, this time with a jailer, where Jesus' love transformed an entire family. After a violent earthquake shook the prison and the prison doors flew open, Paul and Silas didn't run but remained in their cell. The jailer, overcome with gratitude that they didn't flee, took them to his house and eventually asked that life-changing question, What must I do to be saved?

Believe in the Lord Jesus, they answered, you and your household. The response reveals God's desire to pour out mercy on not only individuals but also entire families. Encountering God's love, they all came to believe in God, the jailer, and his whole household. Though we're often eager for the salvation of those we love, we can trust that God loves them even more than we do.

He desires to renew all of us, our whole house. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Acts 16 verses 22 through 34. The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.

When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, Don't harm yourself.

We are all here. The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. Then immediately he and all his household were baptized.

The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God, he and his whole household. Let's pray. God, we know your love for our family is so much larger and stronger than our love ever could be. Please reveal yourself not only to us, but to our entire family, so we can all know the joy and peace that comes from knowing you. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. I'm Stephen, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.