Friday, August 6, 2010

Prison Break

August 6, 2010

Do you ever read the Bible and ponder the stories? Do you ask yourself if these people were real or if they really were just characters?

Sometimes the stories I read are so unbelievable and so amazing that I cannot comprehend how a real person could do what is written down in each account. Take for example, the story of Paul and Silas in prison.

Acts 16:16-40 says, “Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.

When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."

But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out."

The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.” (NIV)

This story cannot be real! How could anyone sing hymns after being flogged and thrown into jail? How could anyone stay in prison after being released from his shackles? How could anyone share the gospel with the person keeping them in bondage? There is just no way!

Oh there is a way! In fact, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6) The way is Jesus!

Sometimes, I am amazed at the strength of character of the people in the Bible. I am awed by their faith and their perseverance. I wonder how they were able to live so fully for Christ. And there is only one answer—Jesus! They all had Jesus in their lives, and He was the One who pulled them through, who provided their strength, and who wrote their life changing stories.

When I read this account of how Paul and Silas were thrown into jail, I automatically question what I would do if I were in their situation. Now, I hope to never be thrown into prison. If I were, I wonder if I really would sing hymns after just being flogged. I wonder if I would be focused solely on God rather than wallowing in my desperate situation.

Isn’t that so true? When times get tough, we automatically look in toward ourselves, rather than looking up toward God. I know I get so caught up in the bad happening to me, I fail to see what others may be going through. It becomes all about me. How ironic! Because at my lowest point, when I need Jesus the most, I turn from Him and try to rely on myself and my power. Instead of looking to Him and taking the focus off of myself.

And there is the difference. These characters are not just people on a page; they are real. They lived and walked on this same earth. They had good days and bad. But, the difference between myself and them is where they turned when things weren’t going the way they were supposed to go. They turned to Jesus! And amazing miracles happened!

The same can happen in my life. I just have to retrain my way of thinking. Instead of thinking about the difficult situation I am facing, I need to think about the all powerful, all knowing God that is ready to face my situation for me. Once I believe that God will handle every battle that comes my way, I can become a bright light for Him. Just like Paul and Silas.

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