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Theo Tigno•
5/27/2003 5:59 am
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Tuesday, May 27th 2003 |
Acts 16:22-34
The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas, and the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely. When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.
About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here." He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved." So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once. He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for our troops, for a peaceful resolution to the war and for the people of Iraq, for their safety.
Being a Faithful Witness
Sometimes, we're given the door to escape through. We take a look at our trials and we see a doorway to the "easy path." The easy path always calls us when we feel we can no longer endure our trials. At the root of this temptation lies the question: Do you trust the Lord?
Paul and Silas saw an opportunity to escape, but they trusted God that there will be a greater glory for them if they remain in the jail, and their faithful witness lead to the conversion of the guard and his family. They lived their lives, not trying to save it, but rather in complete surrender to the will of God. It wasn't about them; it was all about God.
When we take a look at our lives, we have the tendency to take the attitude of "it's all about me." We get this way when we feel that we are unloved. We get this way when we feel we are have nowhere to turn. We get this way when we are fearful and we don't trust in God. In other words, we get this way when we buy into the original lie: God doesn't love you.
Of course, if our pain is self-inflicted or if our pain does not lead us closer to God, God will mercifully take our pain. Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, asked The Father to take away His cup. God, The Father, in His great wisdom, knew that the cup could not be taken away from the Son, and therefore God mercifully allowed His Son to die. There is no sin in asking God to take away our pain, but God, in His great mercy, will answer our prayers according to our need. If our trials lead us to greater glory, then we must continue to persevere and trust in God versus the original lie. We must always keep in mind that our God is merciful and His ways are above our own.
There are many doors that will open up to you that will give you the opportunity to choose the original lie over the God's love. I pray that you prayerfully discern your calling, but more importantly, that you surrender you will over to the will of The Father. Take care and God Bless.
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