Peter was in prison, facing what appeared to be certain death. The church prayed, God sent an angel, Peter’s chains fell off, the doors opened, and Peter walked out.
But then we come to Paul and Silas.
They were beaten, thrown into prison, and locked in stocks. Then, in the middle of the night, they prayed and sang praises. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake. The prison doors opened and everyone’s chains fell off.
So why didn’t Paul and Silas escape?
Because sometimes God opens a door so you can walk through it—and sometimes He opens a door so you can see what He wants to do while you stay where you are.
The answer is found in what happened next. Paul and Silas stayed, and the Philippian jailer and his household heard the Gospel.
Then Jesus gives us another important lesson in John 21: Peter became concerned about what would happen to John. Jesus essentially told him, “What is that to thee? follow thou me.”
The lesson is simple but powerful: God doesn’t give every believer the same assignment, the same journey, or the same outcome. Our responsibility is not to compare our calling with someone else’s. Our responsibility is to follow Jesus.