O soul, are you weary and troubled?

Feel imprisoned by life's circumstances? Struggling with Ill-health, depression, anxiety, relationships, grief, rejection, lack, abuse, persecution or accusation? A trial, especially a prolonged one that shows no sign of abating, can leave us feeling discouraged and with no hope of escape.

As believers, what do we do when problems arrest our heart and mind? Many of us begin by asking God to simply take them away.

But that might not always be the right action to take.

When Paul and Silas found themselves imprisoned they responded in a way few of us do today.

Imagine the setting. 

Paul and Silas were minding their own business while travelling to a place of prayer. A slave girl, troubled by an evil spirit, began to follow them on their journey. For days she hounded them until eventually Paul got so annoyed by the goading spirit in her that he commanded it to leave in Jesus name–-and of course it obeyed and left in an instant! 

One thing led to another and a city-wide disturbance ensued. To quell the riot, city officials beat Paul and Silas with rods. Just when they thought it couldn’t get any worse they were thrown into the city dungeon and their feet clamped in stocks. Roman historian, Sallust describes these dungeons as “disgusting and vile by reason of the filth, the darkness and the stench.” 

Needless to say Paul and Silas were now not in a good place in their lives! One minute they were setting off to enjoy an awesome prayer meeting, the next, they find themselves severely beaten and held captive in a dark, stench-filled and most probably rat-infested dungeon. (You can read the full account of the story in Acts 16)

So what did Paul and Silas do when confronted with this horrible trial?

Did they cry out to God and beg for deliverance? Did they get word out to the intercessors and have them petition God for their release?

They did pray! But I wonder, what was their focus? The Bible helps us to understand.

In Acts 16:25 we read; “… at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God.”

Paul and Silas spoke prayers of praise! Their prayers were not inwardly focused. They were outwardly focused with thankful hearts and praise to God.

Paul and Silas were not contemplating their predicament, not even in the slightest. On the contrary, they were glorifying their Father in heaven!

In fact they were so joyously enraptured by the Lord and His presence encompassing about them, that they didn’t want to leave––even when God made a way of escape! 

How on earth could Paul and Silas be filled with such freedom and joy while locked up in a stinking dungeon? Here’s how––and this may sound like a Christian cliche–-but hear me out. Paul and Silas were simply lovers of Christ! They loved their Master so much more than they loved their own lives! The love they had for their Saviour was so all-consuming that any trial was insignificant in the light of knowing him. Their lives were so Jesus-centred that I wonder if they even thought to pray for themselves at all!

With all affections fixed upon their Lord, suddenly an unexpected earthquake shook the foundations of that dungeon. Not only did all the doors break open, but we are told that the binding chains on Paul and Silas, and every other prisoner miraculously fell off! When the jailer rushed in troubled that the prisoners would take the opportunity to make a run for it, Paul told him not to panic, "We are all still here!" he said.

That quake not only impacted the lives of Paul and Silas, but the shockwaves affected all of the other prisoners too! All their chains fell off! All were impacted by this supernatural event! But the story doesn’t end there! It gets even better! The jailer and his entire family end up getting radically born again! Paul and Silas get their wounds tended to, a meal set before them (Psalm 23), and the next morning the city officials send the police to tell the jailer to let them go free! What a turn around!

Your trial may feel just like that stinking rotten dungeon. But don't despair. Stop looking at the circumstances around you. Make a purposeful and determined decision to look up to God and praise Him – and then praise Him with ALL your might! There's a wonderful old song called Turn your eyes upon Jesus which pretty much says it all – it's based on Hebrews 12:2-4 and goes like this;

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Here's the verse from Hebrews. The Message version really sums it up afresh. "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"

So then friend, look wholly unto Jesus who is the author and perfecter of your faith. Focus on Jesus today and worship Him unreservedly. Jesus deserves all the worship, Jesus deserves all the honour, Jesus deserves all of your heart and mind, no matter what troubles are wearying you. Your circumstances don't deserve to have your life. And while you're in that place of complete abandon with your Lord, you may find yourself set free from your trial – but such will be His all consuming presence that escaping from it will not be the focus anymore!

Determine to take your thoughts off yourself today – look full in Jesus wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace!

Watch our 2 minute video here and begin meditating on the Lord Jesus today! God bless you.