Prison Break

Acts 16:22-24 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 into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Acts 16:25-26 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.

You see here the story of Paul and Silas being beaten, chained down and thrown into the prison.  Actually, they were not given a good trial; they were treated like the lowest form of animal just by sharing the word of God. They did not steal or anything, they did not hurt anyone. Yet they were imprisoned simply because they were sharing His word!

When the two was sent down to jail, they did not complain or look for anything. Di sila nag REKLAMO about what they did to God! They did not say “God, this is unfair! Paano ito nangyari? Bakit ganun?”What they did was praise God instead. They thank God for the situation for it is His divine intervention. According to verse 25-26, they sang praises and shouted victory to God! Instead of complaining about their situation, they praised God! Other prisoners might have thought they must be out of their mind; the guards must have been outraged, why do these people still sing when they were already beaten up and chained in prison. Then all of a sudden, while singing praises and worshipping God, there was a large earthquake. Instantly, the doors opened, chains removed and then the angel of the Lord came and said “Let’s get out of here.” Now, even the guards helped them to get out because of fear.

We can be encourage with these two, it serves as a good reminder when things look difficult, when all are against you, when life seems so unfair, when people seems to put you down, when you feel like you are like Paul and Silas beaten down, chained and thrown into prison, that is not the time to get depressed and feel pity for yourself. That is not the time to start complaining, start looking ahead and don’t start looking on what you don’t have, start looking on what you do have! That is the perfect time to praise God! Praise can break any chains, any prison, any hurt, any kind of bondage, it can break any sin, any problem, any kind of depression. Declare His praises because He is working behind that scene!!!! STOP COMPLAINING and START PRAISING INSTEAD!