In the Midst of a storm Paul and Silas offered prayer of praises and sang hymns to The Lord.
"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:25)
In the midst of their trials they looked to God. They didn't give up on God just like God wouldn't give up on them. They believed wholeheartedly that God was with them and that no matter what happened God would get them through this.
We see in verse 26 that Paul and Silas' faith and their looking to The Lord freed them...
"Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed." (Acts 16:26)
We see the full power of God in just a couple verses. They Saw God and Sought God in the midst of their trial and God set them free from all of their bonds that kept them in that prison cell.
Do you ever look at this story and think that maybe... Just maybe we need to re-evaluate our lives when things get tough? We see Paul and Silas sitting in prison with other criminals singing praises to God and praying with all of the faith that they had. They weren't sitting there playing in the dirt... They weren't sitting there complaining. They weren't questioning God. They were PRAISING Him!
They didn't see the storm that was raging in front of them, they saw the God who walked on water! They saw the man who healed the lame and the sick. They saw the God who is sitting on the throne in Heaven in this very hour!
We need to re-evaluate our faith in the midst of the storm; I know I do. I am known to have a lot of faith but from time to time I find myself pulling away from what I know God desires and I become terrified and I run away. I find myself complaining and questioning God as if I have the right to question. As if I have the right to complain about where He has put me.
I don't have the RIGHT.
This world is lacking many Paul and Silas'... We turn our backs from the God who can bring us through and we cry and blame all of our misery on Him. Let me tell you that God is NOT the cause of all of our misery in times of trouble; we are!
What if we all looked to God instead of at the storm? What if we looked to the one who can carry us through? I find that we will be happier.
It says in Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
I don't want to be a Megan... I don't want to be scared or anxious. I want to be made new! I don't want to be the old me. I want to be LIKE Christ in everything I do. I want to run this race for Christ. I want to stop turning my face from God and pushing Him away! I want my FAITH to outweigh my anger! I want my LIFE to shine the LIGHT of Jesus and who HE is! And the Good thing about this is that we CAN be happy in the midst of trials because we KNOW the ending! Christ IS coming back and He WILL take His children with Him! And that should be enough to get us through.
"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)
Press towards the calling of God. Look to Christ and He will renew your strength. He is there in times of trouble and He is there in times of happiness... He is there! All we have to do is look to Him fully and He will break our chains and loose our bonds! Become a Paul and Silas for The Lord.
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