The praise of the wounded and the prisoners

[Ebn Barbara]

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone happy or cheerful? Let him sing psalms or praises!” (James 5:13).

“The high hills are for the wild goats; The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers”
(Psalm 104:18).

Two verses from the word of God, talking about almost the same subject..
The apostle James advised believers to pray when they are suffering or are going through hardships or difficulties..
And to praise the Lord when they are cheerful..

The writer of the psalm is saying the same thing:
When we are strong and encouraged, we go early in the morning like wild goats, and we climb the high hills..
And when we are weak like rock badgers, which is a small animal resembling the rabbit, we take refuge in the cliffs for protection..

So.. the customary: is that when we are depressed, weak, scared or going through hardships, we take refuge in prayer.. And when our moral is high and we are happy we can easily praise, glorify, and even cheer..
This matter is true and according to scriptures..

Yet, what if we praised the Lord and cheered Him while we are: threatened.. scared.. beaten .. sick.. in need.. prisoners.. discouraged…
Yes.. if we praised the Lord under the pressure of those difficult circumstances..
What would happen?

Come, let us meditate together:
“… They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said: ‘These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.’ Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them in prison… and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying: ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.’ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said: ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said: ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying: ‘Let those men go.’ So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying: ‘The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.’ But Paul said to them: ‘They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans… Let them come themselves and get us out.’ And the officers told these words to the magistrates… Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out… So they went out of prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.” (Acts 16:19-40).

They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them, they accused them of causing trouble, the multitude rose up together against them, they were beaten with rods many times which resulted in many stripes, they were thrown in prison, and their feet were fastened in a wooden stocks, and then it was midnight..
All the circumstances around them lead to complaining.. weeping and lamenting.. failure.. and so on and so forth of similar things..
At best they can pray and cry out to the Lord and weep in His presence..
And this is what the apostle James says:
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray!”.

However, Paul and Silas were different.. they did an unexpected thing.. and this is why the Lord intervened in an unusual way.
“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them”.
Midnight.. Paul and Silas are singing hymns to God with a loud voice..

The result:
“Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed”.

This is our God, beloved.. He honors those who honor Him, especially in the midst of trials and wars.. and He doesn’t just stand there in front of a faith like the faith of Paul and Silas, and He doesn’t just stand there when we accept to be despised and persecuted for the sake of His name and we keep on being cheerful and holding onto Him..
Thus He shook the foundations of the prison.. opened all the closed doors.. and loosened everyone’s chains.. To Him be all the glory!!!

The Lord did four things as a result of what Paul and Silas did:

He shook the foundations of the prison.

He saved souls.

He subjected the enemies and the adversaries.

He comforted the believers.

This is what happened, the foundations of the prison were shaken, all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. He saved the keeper of the prison and his family; the magistrates came and pleaded with Paul and Silas, and the believers were comforted.

Do you want to see these things happening to you?
Do like Paul and Silas did as you are confronting the difficult circumstances that are controlling your life and ministry..
Yet.. you may say to me:
It is difficult to praise the Lord when we are: threatened.. distressed.. fearful.. anxious.. sick.. and…
And I say to you: it is not only difficult, but it is impossible if you were going to rely on your own strength, you need the power of the Holy Spirit to do it. What is important is to have in your heart the desire to do this, and to respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in similar circumstances!!!

Difficult? Yes..
Against logic? Again yes..
Yet the results are huge, and deserve that we sacrifice, believe and respond to the work of the Holy Spirit. This is if we want the foundations of every prison the enemy put us in to be shaken, all the closed doors to be opened, all the merciless chains to be loosed, the souls to be saved, and to bring comfort and encouragement to believers.

What does it mean practically to praise the Lord in times of hardships, tiredness, sadness, worry, problems, threatening, sickness, fear …?
It means that you will no longer focus your attention on the problem, whatever its kind and size..
It means that you will not try anymore to rely on your own natural abilities..
And it finally means.. and this is of most importance.. that you will set your eyes on the Lord.. declaring your faith and trust in His love, power, authority, righteousness, and greatness.. giving all glory, honor, and respect to Him who deserves it.. Then you will see wonders.. and you will see His great intervention..

Also from the Old Testament:
A great multitude crossed the sea and came to fight Jehoshaphat and the people of God.. So the king feared and set himself to seek the Lord.. and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.. and said to the Lord:
“O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chronicles 20:12).
The attitude of the king was a key for victory: our eyes are upon You..

The Lord’s answer came through His prophet who said:
“… Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s’” (2 Chronicles 20:15).

The battle is the Lord’s.. The Lord has shaken the foundations of the prison and opened all the doors.. He breaks the bondages and the chains.. He delivers you from the worst sins.. He gives joy for sadness.. He heals you from the diseases that threaten your life.. He brings back to His house your children from the world where they are lost.. He will meet your needs.. He will save you from the dangers that threaten your life.. And your role is to put your eyes upon Him, thus declaring your faith..

How does this happen?
Come let us examine what Jehoshaphat and his people did:
“Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high. So they rose up early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.’ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: ‘Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever’”
(2 Chronicles 20:19-21).
The situation is still the same, a great multitude of enemies is marching toward Jerusalem, the threat is great and the potential of the people little, and as Jehoshaphat said: we have no power.. exactly as was the case of Paul and Silas; the city, the magistrates and the majority of the people were against them..
But, here comes the role of faith which doesn’t look at reality and logic, rather to the author and finisher of our faith, the powerful God over all, to whom nothing is impossible..
This is why Jehoshaphat said: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established..
This faith was practically translated by praising the Lord with a loud voice under the pressure of these difficult and dangerous circumstances..

And what was the result?
“Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much… Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies” (2 Chronicles 20:22-27).

Huge and great results.. The same results that Paul and Silas obtained:

An earthquake that took away the fear of the people, their anxiety and weakness, and that reversed the equation to their advantage..

Salvation of the souls in a symbolic way, this is what the spoils they took from the enemy represent..

Utter destruction to all the enemies..

Comfort and joy to all the people..

And now.. what is the message for us today?
Are you surrounded by a great multitude?
Fear.. anxiety.. sickness.. dangers.. need.. bondages.. failure.. sadness.. your children are in a difficult situation.. doors are closed before you.. your ministry is fruitless.. and you can add many other things..
It’s all right.. Say to the Lord: there’s no strength in me.. but my eyes are upon you.. and praise the Lord trusting His generosity, His great mercies and His strong arm for which nothing is impossible..

You may ask me here also:
How can I praise the Lord when my soul is downcast to death?
How can I praise the Lord when I am threatened by dangerous things?
How can I praise the Lord when the doctors’ reports say that I will not be healed from this sickness?
How can I praise the Lord when my son is indulging in pleasures of the world and dealing with drugs?
How? How? And How?

And I say to you:

Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts..

And by surrendering to the pressure of these circumstances makes the problem more complicated and bigger.. However, praise shakes the prisons, opens the doors, loosens the chains, gives unexpected solutions, and releases the mighty hand of the Lord.

I also say to you that Jehoshaphat and his people, and Paul and Silas were able to succeed under the pressure of similar circumstances, or even harder, therefore look at them and meditate on what happened to them, declare your faith, because their God is your God, He is your father who loves you, and He will give you the strength to do like them, and to obtain the incredible results that will change your life from shame to freedom, from wailing to joy, from failure to success, from weakness to strength, and from sterility to a multitude of fruits.

[بنت معلم الاجيال]

Thank you

very beautiful