A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! Acts 16:22-26
On October 5, 2005 ABC Evening News ran a story about a freak accident. In the Florida everglades a python had swallowed a six foot alligator. They were both found dead and the python’s stomach had exploded. I think that many times we are like that snake- - - our lives, and what we have bitten off, seem like more than we can stomach.
Christians have coped with this challenge since New Testament times by learning to look for God’s will in the priorities we set. A generation ago this practice was called devotions. Christians would ask their brothers and sisters to, “Pray for my inner devotional life to be renewed.” They would also challenge one another on the deepest friendship levels and guard against a fall by continually cultivating a deep inner devotional life. They sought never-ending personal renewal by experiencing spiritual focus, emotional restoration, and affirming that Jesus held first place in their lives. The fathers, mothers, teenagers, business people and singles all held each other accountable for their ever growing capacity to offer praise and thanksgiving as well as study and memorize scripture. Every time they met, they would ask each other, “How does it go with your soul?” Many times the look on the other person’s face was all the response needed (it was the look of the snake who had just swallowed an alligator). Then, they would share, pray together, study the Word and learn- - - then make another stride at living life with the devotion that was needed.
What is the alternative to living without devotion? We will miss the focus and serenity that’s essential to our emotional and spiritual health. The apostle Paul writes about such issues in Philippians- - - and the Philippians believe that he knows what he’s talking about.
I have been privileged to meet a lot of people who have faced more than their fair share of life’s problems. Often they can only handle them one day at a time, but their devotion changes everyone who’s privileged to observe them. Yes, many times it’s not only people that swallow more problems than they can handle- - - but sometimes problems swallow people with more faith than any problem can handle. Maybe there’s a little bit of Jonah in all of us.
When Paul was in Philippi he tried to start a church. He and Silas were not only thrown in jail, but they were taken to the hard-core prisoner section- - - the inner dungeon; and if that’s not enough- - - they were then put in stocks. Paul is stuck, he can’t move. In fact, it is surprising that he’s not overwhelmed by claustrophobia! But instead, he and his buddy Silas begin to sing praises and hymns and they don’t give it up- - - they are still singing at midnight! The jailor thought that Paul had been swallowed by the prison, the inner cell, and the stocks- - -wrong! Later the jailer becomes a Christian because he has been transformed by the power of praise in Paul’s life. I pray that all of us practice such a life of devotion this week!
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
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