Posts
Wednesday, September 7
Today, I’m hooking up with Bonnie Gray of FaithBarista. The topic: What season of faith are you walking through? Fall (letting go) – Winter (loss/waiting) – Spring (new starts) – Summer (embrace and celebrate).
I’ve experienced many winters of faith. Sometimes feeling imprisoned by faith...waiting, longing, wondering what will happen next. But there is one thing I have learned in the midst of it all...praise changes things, even if it is only my attitude! My praises show my trust and faith that the Lord will work out His purpose. Just as Paul and his companions...
Paul. Asleep. At night. A man appeared to him in a vision. The man pleaded, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” (Acts 16:9b Amp)
Immediately, Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke, and possibly others set sail for Macedonia. Confident that God called them to go there and proclaim the gospel. Landing in Philippi, they stayed for several days.
And were they welcomed with open arms? Well, yes and no.
After preaching, the men baptized Lydia, a seller of purple, and her household. But then...
One day, on their way to the place of prayer, a demon-possessed slave girl, who earned money for her masters by fortune-telling, kept shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” (Acts 16:17 NLT)
After several days of this, Paul became so annoyed that he turned to her and commanded the spirit to come out of her in Jesus’ name. And it left her.
Seeing their hope for profit suddenly disappear, the owners of the slave dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities in the marketplace, charging them with troubling the city and teaching unlawful things.
Their obedience got them flogged, imprisoned, and shackled.
And what did they do? Moped, whined, complained, questioning God and shaking their fists at Him? No?
In the dark hours of night, shackled behind bars for their faith and obedience, the men lifted up sweet prayers and hymns of praise which echoed throughout the prison walls.
And what did God do? Leave them there to suffer and die? No? What did He do?
“Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.” (Acts 16:26 Msg)
Hearing the men’s praises, God released His power. He delivered them, brought them out miraculously! And sent them on their way to finish carrying out His call.
And what do I do?
Though we step out in faith, God does not always release us. He has not released me. I am here, confined in my faith, in peace, obeying what the Lord has called me to do.
The Lord showed me a long time ago that praise is the devil’s death-knell, which defined means any warning sound of death, or to ring a bell slowly, solemnly, especially at a funeral.
When praise rings its death-bell toll for the enemy, the Lord goes to work. The shackles of confinement fall away; the bars of imprisonment break apart.
No matter how things appear, if we obediently follow God’s desires, He will work out all things, for “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 NIV)
Confined but not shackled, I praise the Lord right where I am. Imprisonment is a condition of the heart, not circumstances. Why do caged birds sing? Because their hearts are free. Songs of freedom come from the heart, not circumstances.
And what do you do?
Have you ever stepped out in faith and obedience to a command of God and all chaos broke loose? Or had some trial or unsettling condition surround you with bars of confinement?
Maybe your peace and confidence deflated like a punctured balloon. Maybe you felt shackled and held hostage like Paul. You probably doubted hearing the voice of the Lord. However, encountering contrary circumstances does not mean you misunderstood the Still Small Voice.
No, my friend, you just encountered the headwind of the enemy. In fact, that opposition can confirm a right choice. That ol’ enemy desires to thwart your obedience to God’s call whenever he can.
Peace is in your heart, not in your circumstances. So, whether you are like Paul and released or like me and still confined, begin to praise the Lord in those dark hours and watch Him go to work.
Let your imprisoned faith sing above your circumstances.
