"God has a wonderful plan for your life!" Bill Bright, the late founder of Campus Crusade and gifted evangelist, made that line famous. Comedians love to mock it. Believers sometimes doubt it. But, it is true. We were made for the purpose of serving God and we find our greatest satisfaction when we live in the center of the will of God. Perhaps your thought is - "Jerry, I believe that, but how do I KNOW what His plan is?" It is one of the most common questions I am asked!
The first step to living in the center of God's will is surrender; not apathy, not desperate resignation, but actively presenting our will and intentions to God. A self-willed Christian cannot do God's will. If a Believer is rejecting the clear Word in some area of his life, his spiritual sensitivity will be so dulled that he will not see or hear the guiding voice and hand of God's Holy Spirit. Assuming that a person has dealt with self-will and/or sin, not by achieving perfection, but with humility and repentance, what then?
RELAX! The Word expresses the confidence that is ours if we are walking in the Spirit. "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (Philippians 1:6, The Message) Impatience is the great enemy of God's work and will in our lives. God has planted the seed of His will in us and it is germinating. We can care for it by prayer, by meditation, by worship, and by Scripture intake. But we cannot make it grow. Imagine planting a row of beans and then each morning digging them up to see if they were growing! You would not harvest many beans from that garden, would you? Even when it seems like life is going backwards for you, when there is no discernable path in front of you, walk on; in faith.
God is at work, 'finishing in you what He has started.' David's life story is an example. He was called to be God's anointed king while still a young teenager in his father's household. A short while after his encounter with the prophet, Samuel, he went off to take supplies to his brothers who were at war. There he was deeply offended by the faithlessness of the Israeli army. Stirred by the Spirit, he took on the giant, Goliath, killing him on the field of battle with a simple shepherd's sling. King Saul summonsed David to the royal court. Looks like the young farm boy just got his big break, doesn't it? It wasn't! For the next two decades, David was a fugitive, running from the insane jealousy of Saul.
So, was he, David that is, in the will of God? Every indication in the Bible is that he was! Finally, Saul was killed in battle and David took the throne. Even then, several years passed before he consolidated his power and moved forward to lead the nation to greatness for the glory of his God.Did David like waiting through the hard times? I don't think so. During that time, he wrote Psalm 57, where you can sense his questioning of his pathway, even as he bravely declares his faith in God.
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection.I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past.I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose forme. He will send help from heaven to save me, rescuing me from those who are out to get me.
...My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. Theyhave dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen intoit. My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises!" (Psalm 57, NLT)
God is with you today! Present yourself to Him. He is working out His plans and purposes in your life. Stay steady. Keep on doing the right things even when nothing is making sense. And this is the promise you can take with you:
To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
You rescue those who are humble, but you humiliate the proud.
Lord, you have brought light to my life;
my God, you light up my darkness.
In your strength I can crush an army;with my God I can scale any wall.
As for God, his way is perfect.
All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. -- Psalm 18:25-30 NLT
_____________________
My stubborn will at last hath yielded;
I would be Thine, and Thine alone;
And this the prayer my lips are bringing,
"Lord, let in me Thy will be done."
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee;
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee.
Sweet Will Of God- Morris, Lelia N. © 1968 Lillenas Publishing Company
(Admin. by The Copyright Company) CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Am I doing enough?
When evaluating my life, the usual measure I use is performance; hours worked, numbers of people contacted, calls made. When the church's statistics in giving and attendance are trending up I rest more easily that I have done well in my work. The need to achieve often drives me to stay on task even at the expense of spending quality time with those I love. In recent months, the necessity of pulling away from my pastoral work for days at a time to travel to Pennsylvania and care for my critically ill Dad even causes me to feel false guilt, to worry about "doing enough real work." Whether my need to do more, to work harder, comes from training or from my personality, I cannot say, but I do know that I am strongly performance oriented. I tend to admire a hard-driving entrepreneur far more than a creative artist, to value producing measurable results more than time to appreciate the beauty around me.
God's Word commends diligence. I believe a strong work ethic is taught consistently in both the Old and New Testaments. Proverbs reminds us that "Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!" (Proverbs 14:23, NLT) As Christians, we told that each one is to "settle down and work to earn their own living." (2 Thessalonians 3:12, NLT) The object of our work is not just to build a bigger store of stuff, either. "Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work." (Ephesians 4:28, The Message)
But, as with all of God's good gifts, sin has corrupted our understanding of the meaning and purpose of our work. God commands us to work so that we are able to provide for our needs, so we know the joy of sharing in His creativity and work to impose order on chaos. If we begin to worship our work, if we make an idol of success and turn the work of our hands into the measure of our worth as a person, we will quickly turn into a malformed person, the caricature of this being the lonely executive who can lead a vast company to profitability while his wife lives a lonely life of neglect and his children grow up with a stranger who isn't even present when he is home.
In His amazing goodness, God knew that the drive to work needed a counterpart, so He gave us the gift of rest! In the Old Testament, the people of God were commanded to cease from all their labors one day of the week. The Sabbath commandment was rigorous and forbade practically all work. Most Christians through the history of the Church have continued the practice of setting aside commerce for the Lord's Day, making the day a special time to worship. The discipline of "Sabbath" rest is being lost to us in this age where it is possible for many of us to work at home, to remain 'on the job' even when we are away from our office or workshop. The Lord wants us to understand that we are more than what we do, our value derives from our 'being' as much as our 'doing.' So, invite the Spirit to aid you in the application of the 'Sabbathing principle' to your life. Make it happen!
Nurture the soul. Practice the discipline of rest and worship. Make time to focus on the people around you. Put to death the lie that you can be your own god, that you can exert god-like control over your life, your world, your situation. Rehearse the promise of God's provision - "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, NIV) and from that promise put this command into practice in your life- "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7, NLT) When work and worship, diligence and rest, are properly balanced in the disciple's life, then he will experience what Jesus said was the birthright of every disciple - "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, KJV)
God's Word commends diligence. I believe a strong work ethic is taught consistently in both the Old and New Testaments. Proverbs reminds us that "Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!" (Proverbs 14:23, NLT) As Christians, we told that each one is to "settle down and work to earn their own living." (2 Thessalonians 3:12, NLT) The object of our work is not just to build a bigger store of stuff, either. "Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work." (Ephesians 4:28, The Message)
But, as with all of God's good gifts, sin has corrupted our understanding of the meaning and purpose of our work. God commands us to work so that we are able to provide for our needs, so we know the joy of sharing in His creativity and work to impose order on chaos. If we begin to worship our work, if we make an idol of success and turn the work of our hands into the measure of our worth as a person, we will quickly turn into a malformed person, the caricature of this being the lonely executive who can lead a vast company to profitability while his wife lives a lonely life of neglect and his children grow up with a stranger who isn't even present when he is home.
In His amazing goodness, God knew that the drive to work needed a counterpart, so He gave us the gift of rest! In the Old Testament, the people of God were commanded to cease from all their labors one day of the week. The Sabbath commandment was rigorous and forbade practically all work. Most Christians through the history of the Church have continued the practice of setting aside commerce for the Lord's Day, making the day a special time to worship. The discipline of "Sabbath" rest is being lost to us in this age where it is possible for many of us to work at home, to remain 'on the job' even when we are away from our office or workshop. The Lord wants us to understand that we are more than what we do, our value derives from our 'being' as much as our 'doing.' So, invite the Spirit to aid you in the application of the 'Sabbathing principle' to your life. Make it happen!
Nurture the soul. Practice the discipline of rest and worship. Make time to focus on the people around you. Put to death the lie that you can be your own god, that you can exert god-like control over your life, your world, your situation. Rehearse the promise of God's provision - "God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, NIV) and from that promise put this command into practice in your life- "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7, NLT) When work and worship, diligence and rest, are properly balanced in the disciple's life, then he will experience what Jesus said was the birthright of every disciple - "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, KJV)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Gim'me More!
In worship, we sing a song written by Chris Tomlin that says, "All of You, is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need; You satisfy me with Your love, and all I have in You, is more than enough!" Around 3 am today, while I was watching my Dad wrestle with his illness and weakness, trying to make sense of the cancer that has taken away most everything in his life, those words came to me - I believe from the Spirit. Accompanying the song was a question: is He really enough for you, Jerry, should you find yourself in a situation similar to your Dad? It made me ponder my daily walk with the Lord. Am I nurturing my love for Him in ways that, if everything I cherish were taken from me, I would still have enough in Christ Jesus to be satisfied deeply and fully?
The Word tells us that in Christ Jesus, His disciples find complete sufficiency! "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, KJV) Another way to say it is that we have been given all the resources to do whatever He asks us to do!
The Word tells us that in Christ Jesus, His disciples find complete sufficiency! "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, KJV) Another way to say it is that we have been given all the resources to do whatever He asks us to do!
- Do you struggle with some temptation? In Christ, you are empowered to overcome it.
- Are you fighting fear of the future? Christ is bigger than tomorrow and is already preparing you to meet its challenges.
- Are you dealing with debilitating illness like my Dad? In Christ, there is strength to face the daily loss with faith! And, so goes the list. He is more than Enough for everything - IF we are willing to radically put our trust and hope in Him.
Too often, I am more likely to mourn what I believe I lack that I am to celebrate the sufficiency of Christ's provisions. God forgive me. I fall into the same sin as Israel who, in middle of living on God's Heavenly manna, whined for the food of Egypt, which they remembered having 'at no cost.' What foolishness. They were slaves who ate "cucumbers, melons, leeks, and garlic" (Numbers 11.5) at the cost of their lives and freedom.
The requirements for knowing that He is enough are faith and submission. James says that in the middle of our trials, we need to ask God for what we need. "You do not have, because you do not ask God." (James 4:2, NIV) Read that with understanding! Part of what he is saying is that we will experience God's provision when we want only what God wants, when our desires are aligned to His. If we want things of this world, we have no assurance that God will give them to us just because we request them of Him. And how do we become submitted to Him? He does not subdue us! He invites us to love Him so deeply that we gladly give ourselves to Him - without reservation.
Our submission to Christ Jesus, the Bible teaches, is modeled on the submission of the godly wife to her husband. Her submission does not come from his dominance, or because she is intimidated. He loves her with a selfless love, serving her needs over his own, deepening her trust to the point that she joyfully trusts his servant leadership of the household. Christ Jesus loves us in that way. He has given Himself for us, to the extent of setting aside all his Divine prerogatives to become our Servant. The demonstration of this love should cause us to abandon ourselves to Him.
Here is a declaration of His sufficiency. Read it with joyful thanksgiving, regardless of your need right now. Remember, these are words of life, not mere slogans.
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:14-19, NLT)
____________________
You are my supply; My breath of life,
And still more awesome than I know.
You are my reward worth living for,
And still more awesome than I know.
You’re my sacrifice,Of greatest price,
And still more awesome than I know.
You’re the coming King,
You are everything,
And still more awesome than I know.
All of You, is more than enough for all of me,
For every thirst and every need,
You satisfy me with Your love,
And all I have in You is more than enough!
More than all I want!
More than all I need!
You are more than enough for me!
More than all I know!
More than all I can say!
You are more than enough for me!
Chris Tomlin
2004- copyright Worship Together Music
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Your Wisdom, my rock
I plan to replace the radiator in my Miata this week. Jerry, with a few tools in hand, can be a frightening idea. More than once my optimism has exceeded my expertise! A Miata owner's website tells me that even a person with moderate mechanical ability can do it, so I'm going to give it a try. However, I am not playing the fool on this project. Before I ordered the new part, I contacted a friend and asked him if he would be on stand-by should I need him to bring his knowledge to my rescue. He gladly offered to be my guide. I believe I can do this small job because I have a source, a person to whom I can turn, if I need him. Only a fool thinks himself above the need for counsel and guidance.
Most Christians would be quick to affirm that Jesus Christ is the source of Wisdom for their lives. But what exactly does that mean? Do they respect His brilliance and readily conform themselves to what He says? Dallas Willard makes this stinging observation: "Far too often, He is taken as a mere icon, a wraithlike semblance of a man living on the margin of 'real' life where you and I must dwell. He is perhaps fit for the role of sacrificial lamb or alienated social critic, but little more." - The Great Omission, Harper, 2006 The Scripture asserts that He is the One "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments." (Colossians 2:3-4, NIV)
Here are a few examples of His wisdom.
Jesus tells us to forgive those who offend us. Do we see that as impractical advice like that of our Grandma, or as the wisdom of history's smartest Man? Jesus knows that if we refuse to forgive we pile up relational debts that create all kinds of spiritual, emotional, and even physical problems. His insight into the way we are made causes Him to know that forgiveness is best. So, will we do it?
Jesus tells us not to divorce our spouse except for the most egregious sins against us. Do we trust that wisdom as best for all people of all time or do we privately think that His words belong to another time, that they will surely keep us from happiness in this life?
Jesus counsels disciples to avoid trusting in accumulations of wealth on earth as security. He says that we ought to store our wealth in Heaven by investing ourselves in the Kingdom of God. Do we trust that wisdom and put Kingdom issues first or do we discard His wisdom as impractical for this materialistic age?
Is His promise just the idle boast or is it the cornerstone of life to the full? "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV) He reminds us that none of us can give ourselves to two masters. We can only serve one. To attempt to serve two, means we serve neither.
To trust His wisdom as the guide for life is a faith decision. What He teaches us does not always lead to an immediate benefit, nor is His way necessarily the way of comfort or even 'common sense.' But, His words are life and are worthy of ultimate respect and total obedience. "In him was life, and that life was the light of men.. . . From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." (John 1:4,16, NIV)
__________________________
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay.
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say.
Word of God speak!
Would You pour down like rain,
Washing my eyes to see,
Your majesty?
To be still and know,
That You're in this place?
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness,
Word of God speak!
I'm finding myself in the midst of You,
Beyond the music, beyond the noise,
All that I need is to be with You,
And in the quiet hear Your voice.
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is, it's okay.
- Copyright, MercyMe
Most Christians would be quick to affirm that Jesus Christ is the source of Wisdom for their lives. But what exactly does that mean? Do they respect His brilliance and readily conform themselves to what He says? Dallas Willard makes this stinging observation: "Far too often, He is taken as a mere icon, a wraithlike semblance of a man living on the margin of 'real' life where you and I must dwell. He is perhaps fit for the role of sacrificial lamb or alienated social critic, but little more." - The Great Omission, Harper, 2006 The Scripture asserts that He is the One "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments." (Colossians 2:3-4, NIV)
Here are a few examples of His wisdom.
Jesus tells us to forgive those who offend us. Do we see that as impractical advice like that of our Grandma, or as the wisdom of history's smartest Man? Jesus knows that if we refuse to forgive we pile up relational debts that create all kinds of spiritual, emotional, and even physical problems. His insight into the way we are made causes Him to know that forgiveness is best. So, will we do it?
Jesus tells us not to divorce our spouse except for the most egregious sins against us. Do we trust that wisdom as best for all people of all time or do we privately think that His words belong to another time, that they will surely keep us from happiness in this life?
Jesus counsels disciples to avoid trusting in accumulations of wealth on earth as security. He says that we ought to store our wealth in Heaven by investing ourselves in the Kingdom of God. Do we trust that wisdom and put Kingdom issues first or do we discard His wisdom as impractical for this materialistic age?
Is His promise just the idle boast or is it the cornerstone of life to the full? "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV) He reminds us that none of us can give ourselves to two masters. We can only serve one. To attempt to serve two, means we serve neither.
To trust His wisdom as the guide for life is a faith decision. What He teaches us does not always lead to an immediate benefit, nor is His way necessarily the way of comfort or even 'common sense.' But, His words are life and are worthy of ultimate respect and total obedience. "In him was life, and that life was the light of men.. . . From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." (John 1:4,16, NIV)
__________________________
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay.
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say.
Word of God speak!
Would You pour down like rain,
Washing my eyes to see,
Your majesty?
To be still and know,
That You're in this place?
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness,
Word of God speak!
I'm finding myself in the midst of You,
Beyond the music, beyond the noise,
All that I need is to be with You,
And in the quiet hear Your voice.
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is, it's okay.
- Copyright, MercyMe
Monday, August 25, 2008
Offer up praise!
My heart is not inclined to sing this morning! Yesterday, a call came from a friend's widow, telling me that Phil had died suddenly on Saturday evening from heart failure. He was my age, a father, a man who passionately loved God. It was just one more disappointment. As I talked with the Lord today, I was complaining and whining about all the problems that appear to be piling up all around. I was telling Him how unprepared I feel that I am for the work of ministry in the weeks ahead. I was completely focused on what I perceive to be lacking in my life right now, when I heard the Spirit urge me to choose to praise with the words of an old song. It was popular in my youth and in part says: "Praise the Lord, He can work through who praise Him; praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise. Praise the Lord, for the chains that seems to bind you, serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you, when you praise Him!" (Brown Bannister, 1978, Word Music)
Obediently, but not with much enthusiasm, I began to thank Him for His loving grace, for the opportunities of ministry, for meeting me during corporate worship yesterday, for the friends He has given to me, for my wife and the family that I treasure, ... and gradually my point of view is shifting from gloom to hope, from feeling desperate to sensing a greater Power working in me! Such is the power of obedient praise.
There is a story in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in which we learn the lesson of praise. Paul and his ministry partner, Silas, went to Philippi to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the course of doing what God wanted them to do, they ended up falsely accused, beaten, and jailed. The natural response would be discouragement and complaint, right? Well, read this account about what they did!
"One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her. She started following Paul around, calling everyone’s attention to us by yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They’re laying out the road of salvation for you!" She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!" And it was gone, just like that. When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square.
Then the police arrested them and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace—dangerous Jewish agitators subverting our Roman law and order." By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood. The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas’s clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating. After beating them black-and-blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape. He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them. Along about midnight,
Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose." (Acts 16:16-26, The Message) The rest of the story is also great. The jailer committed his life to Jesus that night, along with his entire family. Such is the power of praise in the middle of misery!
Be careful of empty praise, just mouthing phrases like "Thank you, Jesus," that you do not really believe! Be careful of saying things to others that come off as insincere. I am still working through my sorrow about Phil's death, so I cannot honestly praise God for any good I see in that- yet! Time will come, if I wait on Him, when I will be able to give thanks. Right now, however, I can sincerely praise God for Phil's testimony, his earnest faith, and his desire to honor Christ.
Here's a word from the Word. Take a few moments and read it more than once. Then obediently begin to praise. Darkness will be broken by the rays of Light that break through as the Spirit comes to you.
"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100, NKJV)
__________________________
Come, Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
Come Thou Fount
© Public Domain
Obediently, but not with much enthusiasm, I began to thank Him for His loving grace, for the opportunities of ministry, for meeting me during corporate worship yesterday, for the friends He has given to me, for my wife and the family that I treasure, ... and gradually my point of view is shifting from gloom to hope, from feeling desperate to sensing a greater Power working in me! Such is the power of obedient praise.
There is a story in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in which we learn the lesson of praise. Paul and his ministry partner, Silas, went to Philippi to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. In the course of doing what God wanted them to do, they ended up falsely accused, beaten, and jailed. The natural response would be discouragement and complaint, right? Well, read this account about what they did!
"One day, on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her. She started following Paul around, calling everyone’s attention to us by yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They’re laying out the road of salvation for you!" She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!" And it was gone, just like that. When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square.
Then the police arrested them and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace—dangerous Jewish agitators subverting our Roman law and order." By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood. The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas’s clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating. After beating them black-and-blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape. He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them. Along about midnight,
Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose." (Acts 16:16-26, The Message) The rest of the story is also great. The jailer committed his life to Jesus that night, along with his entire family. Such is the power of praise in the middle of misery!
Be careful of empty praise, just mouthing phrases like "Thank you, Jesus," that you do not really believe! Be careful of saying things to others that come off as insincere. I am still working through my sorrow about Phil's death, so I cannot honestly praise God for any good I see in that- yet! Time will come, if I wait on Him, when I will be able to give thanks. Right now, however, I can sincerely praise God for Phil's testimony, his earnest faith, and his desire to honor Christ.
Here's a word from the Word. Take a few moments and read it more than once. Then obediently begin to praise. Darkness will be broken by the rays of Light that break through as the Spirit comes to you.
"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100, NKJV)
__________________________
Come, Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
Come Thou Fount
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