But if we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

The jailer in Phillippi thought he had it all under control. His world was probably all in order, and maybe he dreamed of a nice promotion as he kept watch over Paul and Silas in their darkened cell. Then his world crumbled. That’s when he realized that it was himself who was in darkness. His secure world was suddenly out of control and despair set in. To him there was no longer a reason to live.

That’s when, through Paul, he heard the word of hope. The voice of hope made him long for the light. Paul’s message to him was very simple: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!”

Humans tend to be in control of their environment. They control their circumstances as much as they can and there often seems to be an air of self-sufficiency about them. But God can create disaster in a brief moment, and sometimes will, in the interest of spiritual reality. That reality is simply that human energy and thought are no match for the power that God can impart to a person in the name of Jesus Christ.

Have you ever experienced the refreshing joy of calling on the name of Jesus and finding a solution to your “out of control” situation? When things go wrong and you feel out of control, call on Jesus’ name and let the party begin!

Holy God of solutions, lift us out of our self-sufficiency and show us the true answers to problems as we call out Your Son’s Holy name!