Believe

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 (Acts 16:23-31).

     Paul and Silas had been led by the Holy Spirit to preach in Macedonia.  They were in Philippi for just a short period time before being arrested, beaten and thrown in jail. Seemingly their missionary endeavor didn’t seem to be going well, but God’s will is never thwarted and what appeared to be bad news turned out to be just what God had planned.  The Jailer that kept Paul and Silas prisoner became a believer in Christ.  This is how God works.  Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed for the purpose of bringing the good news of salvation to the jailer and his family.  When God calls upon an individual, He always does so completely and effectively. And so all that call upon the name the Lord shall be saved.