In acts 16:25-26 we read the story of Paul and Silas, thrown into a Roman prison cell - placed in chains and awaiting the full force of Roman imperial punishment.
This is an incredible story - two men in a deeply dark place who have a critical choice to make.
The Roman empire in Paul's time was a all powerful, hugely fear inducing state - the likes of which we have never seen again. Its borders spanned from the north of England, right across Europe, Greece, Turkey, the Holy Lands and North Africa and all the way to the borders of Persia.
Roman power had formed out of a culture of absolute brutality - A Roman prison was not a place you would want to end up in. Rome held together its territory and the many and varied peoples within it by making sure you were in no doubt that if you ever ended up on the wrong side of Roman might that you would not see mercy - Paul and Silas would have known this all to well, they only had to look to the example of their Lord and Savior to see what awaited them at the hands of their captors.
So in this dark place they made a choice - they chose to sing. They could have chosen any song - if all they were looking to do was lift their spirits. Music can do that - we are tuned into music in a way that moves us - it can make us happy, make us sad or inspire us to action. Paul and Silas understood that to break their chains they needed more!
But Paul and Silas knew in this place it wasn't enough to sing - singing can move us, but want they needed was Worship - Worship moves God!
When we Worship, then the act of singing becomes about us activating our sense of faith. Not just about changing how we feel.
That sense of faith is grounded in knowing the nature of God. Who God is. Like Paul and Silas for instance we know that he is the one who sets us free, when we need freedom.
Worship is about knowing that we are engaging with a God who cares and a God who will respond. When we worship we are making a declaration that we know the nature of the God we serve.
Paul and Silas knew that God cared about them - he had sent them across the world, he had provided for their every need, and they had seen his power - his miracles - so they knew he could deliver them. They worshiped God knowing that he was both willing and able.
The worship Paul and Silas offered acknowledged that God was their deliverer. In this act of worship - they didn’t just feel better. They activated their sense of faith - and God responded.
While I am certain that none of us are destined to be thrown into a Roman prison the darkness of our own situations can some times feel just as heavy and just as inescapable. Like Paul and Silas we can find ourselves bound in chains and unable to see the way out - what do we do then?
Knowing who God is in our world is key. Because when we Worship him knowing who he is - we see that he is willing and able to get involved and change our circumstances - that is when we activate our sense of faith!
Worship in the darkest of places isn't easy - we have to make the choice to go there, but when we do we move God.
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