February 20: Trusting His Provision.
HIS ENDURANCE.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.--Acts 16:25
During particularly hard times in my life, God often blesses me with a song that becomes my companion through that specific trial. When my father was diagnosed with cancer for the last time, I was blessed with the song "God Wants to Hear You Sing," * which I listened to over and over. It highlights that God loves to hear our songs when everything is fine, but that we truly bless God's heart when He hears us sing His praises in the midst of sufferings, just as Paul and Silas did.
It is fascinating to understand the circumstances that Jesus went through in the Gospel of Luke, and the parallel experiences of His followers in the book of Acts. Both Jesus and His followers were baptized by the Spirit for public ministry, performed many miracles, endured all kinds of trials and tribulations, and were persecuted and killed. Jesus endured the kind of sufferings and death that none of His followers would ever taste, because He carried the penalty of our sins and transgressions. Yet His disciples were given strength and patience from above to endure many trials. Sometimes God removes the trial, other times He gives us perseverance and a song of praise in the midst of tribulation. This was the case with Paul and Silas in Philippi. The first convert in Europe, named Lydia, was baptized in this city. When Paul exorcised a fortune-telling spirit from a slave girl, he and Sials were put in jail after being struck with many blows (Acts 16:23). For security and punishment purposes, they were placed in the inner prison and their feet were fastened in stocks (verse 24). Yet God provided a way for them to witness about Jesus: they were singing and praising God in the middle of the night (verse 25). Other prisoners were listening, as was probably the jailer himself. When a great earthquake occurred, they had the opportunity to tell the jailer about salvation through Jesus, and he and his family were baptized. If you are suffering today, ask God to give you a song of praise in the night. Your test will become your testimony! And God will use it for His salvific purposes!
My Response:_________________________________________________________
* "God Wants to Hear You Sing" by Greater Vision.
HIS ENDURANCE.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.--Acts 16:25
During particularly hard times in my life, God often blesses me with a song that becomes my companion through that specific trial. When my father was diagnosed with cancer for the last time, I was blessed with the song "God Wants to Hear You Sing," * which I listened to over and over. It highlights that God loves to hear our songs when everything is fine, but that we truly bless God's heart when He hears us sing His praises in the midst of sufferings, just as Paul and Silas did.
It is fascinating to understand the circumstances that Jesus went through in the Gospel of Luke, and the parallel experiences of His followers in the book of Acts. Both Jesus and His followers were baptized by the Spirit for public ministry, performed many miracles, endured all kinds of trials and tribulations, and were persecuted and killed. Jesus endured the kind of sufferings and death that none of His followers would ever taste, because He carried the penalty of our sins and transgressions. Yet His disciples were given strength and patience from above to endure many trials. Sometimes God removes the trial, other times He gives us perseverance and a song of praise in the midst of tribulation. This was the case with Paul and Silas in Philippi. The first convert in Europe, named Lydia, was baptized in this city. When Paul exorcised a fortune-telling spirit from a slave girl, he and Sials were put in jail after being struck with many blows (Acts 16:23). For security and punishment purposes, they were placed in the inner prison and their feet were fastened in stocks (verse 24). Yet God provided a way for them to witness about Jesus: they were singing and praising God in the middle of the night (verse 25). Other prisoners were listening, as was probably the jailer himself. When a great earthquake occurred, they had the opportunity to tell the jailer about salvation through Jesus, and he and his family were baptized. If you are suffering today, ask God to give you a song of praise in the night. Your test will become your testimony! And God will use it for His salvific purposes!
My Response:_________________________________________________________
* "God Wants to Hear You Sing" by Greater Vision.
RSS Feed
