Be Still, and Know

Bible portion: Acts of the Apostles 16: 23 to 30 Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and thrown into jail. The jailer was asked to guard them safely, so their feet were fastened in stocks in the inner jail. They were experiencing persecution, and were suffering in jail. But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing to God, and the prisoners were actually listening to them. Paul and Silas were not murmuring, they weren't complaining, "why God, why?". They were simply praising through the persecution. Result? There was a supernatural miracle - an earthquake shook the prison, doors were opened, and chains were loosened. It's not ordinary!. Ultimately, the jailer was saved as well! A supernatural miracle happened because they were singing through suffering. What do we do when we are persecuted? How do we react when we are suffering? We ought to rejoice and worship the Lord. I Peter 4:16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him...

The Israelites were so used to murmuring, and one such murmur led to a significant event recorded in Numbers chapter 21. Yes, we are talking about the bronze serpent. Israel effortlessly murmurs because they have to go around Edom (since Edom's king did not give a safe passage). Lord's anger is kindled, and poisonous snakes enter the picture. They soon realize their mistake, and confess the same. They seek a rescue. Moses arranges for the same through God, and a bronze serpent is lifted up in that wilderness. See it and be saved, He says. Numbers 21:4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." 6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit ...

Nobel prizes are awarded on December 10, every year in Sweden, Stockholm. Sir CV Raman who discovered the “Raman effect”, booked tickets to the prize event in 1930, months before the results were even announced ( news here ). That shows the confidence in his work, and that I call Faith.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen! Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Where does your faith lie? Does it lie on things tangible or on things unseen? Our faith should be in the Bible, in God’s leading and above all, in the Son of God Himself. He loved us, gave Himself for us, in that while we were still sinners and unworthy, He chose to die for us. We believe in His sacrifice, and in His resurrection as well. I Timothy 3:13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus . Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with...

One of the key elements to having wholesome gratitude to God is reminding ourselves about how bad of a situation we were in, before we were saved. We were literally sons of disobedience, not respecting or willing to obey the truth, and definitely not believing in the Son of God. Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,  7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. Romans 2:8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everl...