"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." – Acts 16:25
Jesus gave his followers the very clear warning: any confrontation with the systems of this world and spiritual darkness would result in vicious backlash by the only weapons the darkness knows how to blindly piece together while fumbling around without any light: violence, pain, and death. Jesus’ instructions were very simple, if not audacious. When this happens, sing. Rejoice. This is the same way the powers always responded to those grouchy heroes of old, the prophets who preceded us (Matt. 5:11-12), and, with all due joviality, it never works–God’s purposes and plans keep rolling forward!
Like the best twists in our favorite movies, Paul and Silas didn’t “end up” in prison–they were sent there. They were sent there to sing. They were strategically placed to give the Truth melodic and lyrical wings, creating a contagious hunger for God potent enough to keep every prisoner from making a beeline for the pulverized front entrance. And the stunt was not a breakout–it was a break-in. There was a jailer and his family, jailed by the prevailing religio-political climate of Rome, in desperate need of rescue by their compassionate Heavenly Father. May we not be so focused on the problems we find ourselves in that we fail to notice the true nature of our mission. And may we rejoice in knowing that where we are was always part of the plan.
Reflection:
- How can you worship God in challenging situations?
- What “prison” in your life needs to be surrendered to Him?
- How does this story encourage you to trust God’s timing?
- Art: The Mamertine Prison in Rome, with an altar commemorating the imprisonment of Saints Peter and Paul there, by Chris 73 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6310364
- Songs:
- “Raise a Hallelujah” – Bethel Music
- “Something Has to Break” – Red Rocks Worship