PRAISE HIM ANYWAY!
In acts chapter 16, the Bible reveals a riveting story of crazy faith! ApostlePaul and Silas had casted a demon out of a slave girl who had been used by her owners to predict the future. After realizing that their “cash cow” no longer had the power needed, the slave girl’s owners were exceedingly angry and drug the apostles before the court. Without a trial, they were severely beaten by the Roman soldiers and thrown into a maximum-security prison of the first century (Nothing like our hotel/prisons of today!).
Though beaten and imprisoned at the midnight hour, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God while the other prisoners listened. Think about it – they were wounded, bleeding and imprisoned for serving God, and in that moment, instead of being angry and frustrated they were praising God! WOW!!! Try that on for size!
The Bible records that, while they were praising God, suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison shook. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer was going to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped, but apostle Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" The jailer said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Paul told him, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved and your whole family." The jailer and his whole family were immediately baptized, and theybrought Paul and Silas into their home.
Acts 16:33-34 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.
A truly life-changing event happened to the jailer and his household that night. A couple ordinary men who were willing to step out in extraordinary faith released a miracle from heaven! Whenever anyone believes God, joy fills their heart, power is made available and the kingdom of God advances mightily. The greatest joy you will ever experience is living a life of trusting God. This is especially true when you believe God while facing challenging and even life-threatening circumstances! King David understood this and he wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
When a person believes God during adverse circumstances, they experience joy on another level. The Bible speaks of this kind of joy as inexpressible and glorious.
1 Pet 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Faith is what pleases God! Heb 11:6 When the storms of life come against you, it is critical to choose to believe God because those times allow God the opportunity to display his glory in and through your life. Yes, when disaster is coming at you on all sides and doom seems to be knocking at your door, and you praise God anyway - the power and glory of God shows up!
Oh, yes! Today is your day to put your full trust in God’s ability to make a way for you, and, like Paul and Silas, with crazy faith...
PRAISE HIM ANYWAY!
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