We are given the opportunity to see another snapshot of Paul and his team's experiences in Philippi. This time it is an encounter with the opposite end of the social spectrum from Lydia ... this time it is with a slave girl. Remember, slaves were not people, they were property - considered to be a "tool". And this piece of property was used by her owners to make money telling fortunes ... there was a spirit indwelling her that was not from God. However, even demons know who God is ... and this demon kept on shouting out about Paul and his team. It became a gigantic annoyance ... she was speaking truth ... but it seems that Paul wanted nothing to do with this kind of spirit ... so he finally had had enough and cast the demon out in the name of Jesus. This girl was freed!
I long to know what happened to her! Did she become part of the fledgling church that was beginning? Did her owners get rid of her because she was no longer profitable? They had control of her life ... did they sell her? We don't know. But in Philippi, there was a slave girl who was set free from the grip of Satan by God.
And the result was that Paul and Silas were drug before the officials and accused as criminals. The girl's owners had been hit in the pocket book! Money makes people do crazy things ... and often say things that are not true, or are exaggerated. Citizens of a Roman colony (and Philippi was a Roman colony - not an occupied territory) were extremely proud of their identification with Rome. The accusations levied against Paul and Silas were dripping with racial prejudice and pride. They were Jews ... they disturbed the peace ... the were not cultural equal to the Romans in Philippi. So our missionaries were beaten and thrown in prison.
Beaten and bloodied ... placed in stocks ... we watch as these two men of God choose to sing ... choose to praise God.
I have been so impacted by a story that Beth Moore records in her study "To Live is Christ" about the life of the apostle Paul. I want to share it with you as we think about Paul and Silas in that prison. And my prayer is that you and I will think about it in relationship to any circumstances in our own lives that are painful ... that are not what we desire ... not what we would choose ... listen to Beth ...
"The most difficult part of my service as a Sunday School teacher has been watching a number of my members bury loved ones. Several years ago one of my members lost her 15 year old son in an automobile accident. I will never forget accompanying our friend to the funeral home and helping her choose a casket. All four of us walked to the car and took our seats without saying a word. Within a couple of blocks, one of us began to cry, and then the rest joined her without saying a word. After several minutes of silence, another leader began to sing with broken notes, 'I love you, Lord ... and I life my voice ... to worship You ... O, my soul rejoice.' I could hardly believe the nerve of my fellow member to sing at such a time as this. Before I could look at her with proper horror, the mother's best friend joined in, 'Take joy, my King, in what You hear ... may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.'
The words fell from their lips a second time and to my shock, Bernard's broken-hearted mother began to sing. If she could sing, I knew I could not remain silent. We sang all the way home that day. Not one of us had a solo voice, and yet I wonder if I will ever hear a sound so beautiful again. I knew that day what God meant when He told us to life up the sacrifice of praise. When praise is the last thing that comes naturally to us and we choose to worship Him anyway, we've had the privilege of offering a genuine sacrifice of praise."
Through a decision of their wills, these two beaten men chose to honor God rather than melt into their pain and self-pity. Psalm 42:8 says, "By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me - a prayer to the God of my life." Songs in the night ... His songs ... praising God through the pain. Why? Because God is God. How? By a decision of the will and through the Spirit of God.
Do you need to sing?
I love You Lord ... and I lift my voice
To worship You ... O my soul, rejoice.
Take joy, my King, in what You hear
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.
No comments:
Post a Comment