Todays's passage is Acts 16: 19-40. After arriving in Philippi and converting Lydia, Paul casts out a spirit of prophecy from a slave girl who had been following them and shouting that they would tell people how to be saved. The girl's owners were angry, brought Paul and Silas before the magistrates with a trumped-up charge. They were flogged and imprisoned where they sang praise songs at midnight when an earthquake shook the prison, opened all the cell doors and shook off the chains of the prisoners. The jailer was about to commit suicide when Paul told them that none of the prisoners had run away. The man converted on the spot, tended to Paul and Silas's wounds, was baptized with his family, and had a celebration meal. When a message come from the magistrates that Paul and Silas were free to go, Paul refused, told them that he and Silas were Roman citizens and demanded a personal apology from the magistrates, which they got. Before leaving they went to Lydia's to encourage the new converts.
Paul preached the gospel, cast out an evil spirit, was flogged and imprisoned where he sang praise songs to God, converted the jailer and his family and left town.
#65279;
Nowhere in Luke's account, does Paul bemoan his circumstances and pray for God to change them. He accepts everything, even his unwashed wounds from being whipped and then being chained in the innermost prison cell.
Not only does he accept these horrible circumstance but he sings God's praise throughout the night! Those around him are blessed by his songs, which would likely be the psalms.
How does he do this?
The simple anwer is God's grace.
But how does he get it?
Why does he get it?
Partly because he's God's chosen messanger to the Gentiles.
He has a God-given job to do.
It's great to have a purpose in life but why does he persevere through stonings, floggings, imprisonment, slander and vituperation?
Why does he sing about God with joy in the midst of unendurable hardship?
Why doesn't he give up?
I've given up on many things in my life.
During my first marriage, I wanted to give up during my first bout of poverty.
I wanted to divorce my wife.
I broke my marriage vows because I was selfish, childish, immature, irresponsible and complaining.
God didn't let me break that marriage.
Instead he led me to accept Jesus and then took me through more hardship until my wife died and in that shock of loss began to open my eyes to sin.
#65279;
Did I praise God for that? Certainly not.
Nor did I praise God for the collapse of my sinful relationship with Mallroy? No.
Did I sing his praises for my lost career? Again, no.
Nor did I for being stuck with nothing in the YMCA. #65279;
But running through all those hardships were small moments fo praise to God, which eventually I was able to expand when I came to Wooridle.
What I did have through every painful moment after my conversion was an ongoing conversation with God.
I never stopped talking to God, even though most of my words were complaints, just like Job.
I never stopped reading the Word, never stopped going to church and singing hymns in church. Hardly Pauline stuff, I know.
But still God's grace, I believe.
Looking back at it all, I see ever more clearly how hard God was holding onto me.
He was the one unwilling to let go, not me.
That's grace.
Paul had a completely different attitude from me.
He believed so deeply, so passionately, so fiercely in God that he trusted God to use all of his circumstances for God's glory.
He trusted God to use him as an instrument of his grace and blessing to others.
Although I doubt I could sing praise songs after being unjustly and violently whipped and thrown into prison, I think I would be one of those other prisoners listening to Paul sing and receiving the balm of God's love.
Not much, but enough, I pray.
Lord, give me Paul's attitude of trust. Let me see the bigger picture of redemption every day in my difficulties. Let me not give up but persevere through my hardships. Give me your joy so that I may sing your praises in the midst of my trials.
