Feet

Having been charged to keep them securely, the jailer put Paul and Silas into the inner prison with their feet in stocks. The other prisoners listened, as midnight rolled around, to Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns to God. Perhaps the jailer also heard these prayers and hymns to a God he had not heard of before drifting off to sleep. Is that why, after the great earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison and opened the doors and released the fetters, the jailer came and fell before Paul and Silas, trembling in fear? (Paul and Silas had already assured him that they were all present.) The jailer now wanted a part of this God. “What must I do to be saved?” he desperately wanted to know. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household,” was Paul’s immediate, concise response, and they “spoke the word of the Lord to him, together with all who were in his house.” Without delay the jailer washed his prisoners’ wounds and he and his household were baptized. Then he fed them and rejoiced with all his household that he believed in God. (The entire story is found in Acts 16:22-40.)

God uses His mighty power and the prayers and hymns and words and bodies of His people to draw people to Himself. Seeing who this God is, experiencing God, evokes fear, awe and a desire to belong to Him. And there is rejoicing. The jailer “rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.” (verse 34) Mindful of his duty to keep Paul and Silas safe, the jailer still held them in the jail. Perhaps Paul and Silas were still talking with the jailer about Jesus when the police arrived in the morning with the news that they could be freed. Before leaving Philippi, Paul and Silas visited Lydia and the new church there. I wonder if Paul asked those church members to call on the jailer and his family to encourage them in their young faith.

Ask God to give you an awareness this week of how He may use your words, songs of worship and your prayers and actions to draw unbelievers to Him. The result will be rejoicing and more praises to God.

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. Acts 16:31

Now, let’s take a look at our feet….

At the beginning of the story in Acts 16, Paul and Silas had their feet immobilized in stocks. At the end, they were walking away. Every time you take a step, you are lifting your foot upward from your ankle (also known as dorsiflexion). Today we are going to work the muscles responsible for dorsiflexion, and that’s why this is an important exercise. It’s easy and can be done anywhere.

Sit in a chair with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle and your feet flat on the floor. Now just lift the ball of your right foot about two inches off the floor (Your heel stays on the floor.) and then lower it back down. Do you feel the muscles contracting at the front of your lower leg and ankle? Repeat this eight to ten times and then do it with your left foot. Or you can alternate feet for a total of eight to ten on each. This exercise also can be done standing, but you may find that you can only lift your foot up about an inch. That’s okay.

You may do this exercise every day if you wish, but at least three times per week. Practice during car or plane trips or any time you are immobile for long periods of time, as it promotes circulation in your legs (and helps prevent clot formation). If you enjoy listening to music, keep time as you lift your feet! Incorporate dorsiflexion into your length and strength routine. It is one of those small exercises that yields big benefits!