Today is Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007; Karen's Korner #1133
The Vacation Bible School which we helped to conduct in Poland took its lessons for the five days from the book of Acts. The Clarion, Iowa group divided into four teams with each team of two figuring out one of the days' lessons to act out with the help of the kids who were attending. Zaba Crozier took the first day's lesson to show us what she wanted us to do.
Sue Hellenga and I chose the two jail breaks from Acts 12 and 16; the first one was Peter's and the second one was Paul and Silas's. Since we didn't have much for props, we used things like my chain belt for chains; overturned tables for a jail and a home; folded up newspapers for soldier hats; swords sawed out of a packing box; and a couple of yellow yarn suitcase ties for an angel's halo.
Acts 12 talks about Peter being thrown into jail and his friends praying at one of their homes for his safety and release. The angel awakened him and led him to the friend's home.
Acts 16 is something similar, but this time it is Paul and Silas. Instead of being sad, worried, or depressed, the twosome began praying and singing hymns. What happened next? An eartquake. The doors of the jail flew open. They could have escaped but they didn't! The jailer, who had been threatened with certain death if he allowed Paul and Silas to escape, was ready to kill himself when Paul spoke up and said, "Don't do it! We are still here!"
Peter, Paul and Silas were safe and saved. The jailer and those praying were never the same. They wanted whatever it was these three men had.
What struck me by both of these stories is that what seemed impossible, turned out to be possible, because the people involved were willing to pray and to sing praises.
If it worked for them then, it will work for us today. Sometimes it would be easier to cry, plead, beg, be depressed, have terrible random thoughts, blame God, or think the situation is imposssible. Who knows what prayer and songs of praise might do to free us, as captives to some circumstance or situation?
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