{ Wednesday's Word - Trapped }

Trapped

• to prevent (someone) from escaping from a place
• having (something, typically a part of the body) held tightly by something so that it cannot move or be freed

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

  Our Sunday school lesson this past week was based on the story of Paul and Silas being thrown into the inner part of the jail - known as the dungeon - and their feet put into stocks. The stocks were designed to be able to force the legs wide apart to add to the pain.  After I thought about this story for a bit, I realized that not only were Paul and Silas trapped (or so it seemed until God sent the earthquake) the jailer had to feel trapped, too. This was somewhat of a dead-end job for him in more ways than one. Rather than DWELLing (Dwell is my 2018 word) on their physical pain and humiliation Paul and Silas chose to pray and sing hymns to God "and the prisoners around them were listening to them."
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Here are a few things I gleaned from this lesson.....

1) Although it's really difficult sometimes when we're in the middle of the struggle, we can make it a choice to DWELL on God and His goodness rather than the "ugly" of whatever the situation might be.

2) Others are watching how we handle the difficulties. Do we whine and pout and cry (ouch) or do we choose JOY instead? The other prisoners were listening and we aren't told in the recount but you know they had to be influenced, too, just like the jailer.

3) God will provide a way to deal with whatever the problem might be even though we often feel trapped and like there's no way out.  He sent an earthquake to release Paul and Silas. The Holy Spirit was there all along to have an ever-lasting impact on the jailer and his entire family. (Don't you know that the jailer never looked at his job the same again?!?)

4) Pray, pray, pray.....
and let God put a song of praise in our heart! 
Ask Him to send you a song....or songs....that come to mind just when you need it. I'm guessing that, like me, that song will pop into your head and often out of your mouth before you even realize it and you can smile and thank HIM for the peace that only He can give!

 ♫ Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that Name! ♫