Paul, Silas and Scary Bylines
You know, that teaser line under the headline an article, the one that grabs your attention in case the title missed. Yeah, I know, just call it poetic license; I like the way it rolls off the tongue.
How breaking is a story if it has not changed for 3 days running? If a headline or byline brings fear, anger, worry, horror or a thought like WTF, try this: 1. Don't click it. 2. Turn your eyes back to Jesus. 3. Carry on.
Fear of anything in this world has no place in our lives; it turns our eyes away from Jesus. Neil just conveyed a story about Paul and Silas, beaten and jailed after casting a demon out of a woman. Surely they knew what that might mean for them. The demon itself was revealing the 2 men to be "servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way to salvation." If we do not speak and share God's word, not only the rocks and hills shout it out; even demons, even paint poured on a canvas, even music, even every gift from God to us WILL shout it out. Just sayin'. There is just no gettin' around it. God IS.
Anyway, I digress. During this event of adversity for Paul and Silas, which was BAD for them in this world, they prayed and sang hymns to God and they were freed from their earthly shackles. Yet they stayed inside the prison. And the Keeper of the prison heard about JESUS; and he and all of his were saved. Like Neil says all the time, "I don't know who needs to hear this, but somebody does."
Sometimes our chains are not literal, they are figurative. Sometimes they exist only in our minds. When you choose to turn to Jesus you choose to cast-off chains of all kinds. Keep your eyes on Jesus and all events in this world will be used for your good, and God willing, someone else's.
How breaking is a story if it has not changed for 3 days running? If a headline or byline brings fear, anger, worry, horror or a thought like WTF, try this: 1. Don't click it. 2. Turn your eyes back to Jesus. 3. Carry on.
Fear of anything in this world has no place in our lives; it turns our eyes away from Jesus. Neil just conveyed a story about Paul and Silas, beaten and jailed after casting a demon out of a woman. Surely they knew what that might mean for them. The demon itself was revealing the 2 men to be "servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way to salvation." If we do not speak and share God's word, not only the rocks and hills shout it out; even demons, even paint poured on a canvas, even music, even every gift from God to us WILL shout it out. Just sayin'. There is just no gettin' around it. God IS.
Anyway, I digress. During this event of adversity for Paul and Silas, which was BAD for them in this world, they prayed and sang hymns to God and they were freed from their earthly shackles. Yet they stayed inside the prison. And the Keeper of the prison heard about JESUS; and he and all of his were saved. Like Neil says all the time, "I don't know who needs to hear this, but somebody does."
Sometimes our chains are not literal, they are figurative. Sometimes they exist only in our minds. When you choose to turn to Jesus you choose to cast-off chains of all kinds. Keep your eyes on Jesus and all events in this world will be used for your good, and God willing, someone else's.
- Catherine Schmid Murphy
Comments 1
Cathy Leslie
Remarkable.