Praising God in Prison
The facts of the account of Paul and Silas in Acts 16 have always fascinated me. Here are two missionaries who run into a bit of trouble. They are attacked by an angry mob. They tear off their robes and beat them with rods. Then, they threw them into the inner part of the prison with their feet in stocks. The guard was commanded to keep them securely in prison. I think we can all get the picture of two beat up men in a dingy, dark place from this simple account, can't we?
However, when midnight came they were not complaining or sleeping. They were singing praises to God. The other prisoners were listening. Why were they singing? They wanted to give God praise, and they wanted the other prisoners to hear the gospel message from the songs. Why were the other prisoners listening? I don't think it was their ability to sing, but their hearts of praise that caught their attention. Once the earthquake hit the jailer had heard enough of the Good News of Jesus to burst in and ask, "What must I do to be saved?"
Paul and Silas brought him to Christ and his family, because they were filled with the peace of God even in prison, and they were motivated by the love of God to share their Lord with the other people in that prison. I pray that our lives would show the same peace and love to those with whom we come in contact, and that we will see the same results many times over.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Acts 19-22.
However, when midnight came they were not complaining or sleeping. They were singing praises to God. The other prisoners were listening. Why were they singing? They wanted to give God praise, and they wanted the other prisoners to hear the gospel message from the songs. Why were the other prisoners listening? I don't think it was their ability to sing, but their hearts of praise that caught their attention. Once the earthquake hit the jailer had heard enough of the Good News of Jesus to burst in and ask, "What must I do to be saved?"
Paul and Silas brought him to Christ and his family, because they were filled with the peace of God even in prison, and they were motivated by the love of God to share their Lord with the other people in that prison. I pray that our lives would show the same peace and love to those with whom we come in contact, and that we will see the same results many times over.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Acts 19-22.