THE TRUE WORSHIPPERS

Acts 16:25, 26 (NIV)
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.

Why me Lord? Where are you now? What's going to happen to me? This isn't fair!

Notice none of these phrases are in the Word? Never does is say that Paul or Silas sat there, drowning in their own pity, despising God, wondering if following Him is worth all this, waiting for the pain to stop. Nope, you won't find those thoughts or words anywhere. What you do find is that after they were stripped, beaten, and then dragged down to the cell and chained, Paul and Silas continued doing what they started before they were accused. Verse 16 says that they were on their way to prayer and continued to preach the word for several days before they cast the demon out that started all this.

True worship is not something we do only when we feel all warm inside because of all the good things He has done for us. Neither is it something that we do when we feel tempted and want deliverance. Nor is it done when we feel a little persecuted or under pressure because we want to push our flesh into acknowledging the great I AM. Worship is done at all these times, but TRUE WORSHIP comes out when you are hurting so badly that you can't move. You're so repulsed by the place you're at that you can't stand to breath. When it comes as easily as your next breath, you've entered into a new realm of being that others recognize you as a worshipper.

The Message translation says that they were singing ROBUSTly. The Amplified translation says they were singing hymns of PRAISE. When I sing robustly or simply sing hymns of praise, I don't do it quietly. If my heart is so full that I'm singing in this fashion, I'm at the top of my lungs. Forceful and loud. Confident and desirous that He hear me. I can imagine no less from this passage regarding Paul and Silas.

What a position to aspire to! To be so full of the Word of God...to be so immersed in His presence daily...to know beyond a shadow of doubt about Whose you are that you leave your own shell and step into that place where you and the Lord Jesus and the Father God all commune as one.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not speaking of some "mystical" or "transcendental" experience. I'm talking about a relationship so close that I know when I hurt, He hurts. One that I know that if this experience means my death, that only means I'll physically be in His presence. One where my thoughts are not centered around me, but on His greatness. We touch on that relationship at times. The key is to get to that place and stay there.

Then take a look at what happens when you enter that place. The power of God comes on the scene. Verse 26 says that the prison shook with a violent, great, and huge earthquake. One so powerful that the chains fell off all the prisoners! Wouldn't you think that if an earthquake came along (even a small one), that the walls would have fallen on the prisoners? And of course their legs and hands would still have been bound.

So this was no ordinary earthquake. It was the power and presence of the Almighty coming to rescue those that were putting Him first.

Matthew 6:32, 33 says: "but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. " (Msg translation)

Jeremiah 29:13 (my new favorite verse) says: "When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree. "I'll turn things around for you..."

Can you imagine a better time for this to take place? AS they sought the King, He found them. And He not only found them, He took care of the situation in a way that there was NO doubt that He was the One and True God. Isn't it amazing how He does that time and time again?

But while we may never be in a physical place such as a dungeon, firey furnace, lion's den, etc., we do have our own places of hard times. The thing to come away with from these accounts is that if God is so powerful to move on these extreme times, think of how easily He can move in times I need him. It's all on me to get to the place of worship and obedience that allows Him to act.