What Christian hasn't been inspired by the great escape of Paul and Silas!See Acts 16; They were locked securely in the inner prison when an earthquake, an event supposed to be so frightening, meant to them the beginning of their liberation. And in the midst of this drama a jailer on the verge of committing suicide was, instead, converted to Christianity.
Few familiar with this story will forget the suspense, the courage, the evidence of divine power. Many of us, inspired by the memory of Paul and Silas praising God, have, at our own midnight hour, won the conviction to break from prisons of sin or illness, depression or fear.
While such events surrounding these two men come readily to mind, more can be learned from this episode. The circumstances leading to the imprisonment can teach us an invaluable lesson in dealing perceptively and more decisively with animal magnetism. Paul and his companion had been preaching the power of God. They were pestered for several days by a young slave woman known for her occult practices. Perhaps she was a spiritualist or an astrologer. At any rate, her owners were making substantial profits from her talents.
