Paul and Silas sitting in jail,
Couldn’t find a soul to go their bail.
Both of them stripped complete,
The two of them whipped and beat.
But their faith in God did not them fail.
Have you ever suffered for Jesus Christ?
Beat within an inch of your life,
Thrown in the hole, locked in stocks,
Been the target of raining rocks.
And come through with a smiling face,
You felt the pain but knew the grace.
Paul and Silas their feet locked down,
Sitting on the cold damp ground.
Their backs were sore with open wounds,
Upon the floor they sang a tune.
And all the others heard the sound.
Do you praise God when times are tough?
Can you thank Him when things get rough?
Shall we serve Him and not complain,
And love Him through the trial of pain.
So, deny yourself and take up your cross,
For eternity’s gained, when the world is lost.
Paul and Silas could see no light,
The dungeon dark was their dire plight.
It didn’t seem to be their day,
But they raised their hearts and hands in praise.
And their faith in God was their sight.
So, when your troubles bring you down,
Where it seems as hope cannot be found.
Raise your head and look up high,
Beyond the stars, beyond the sky.
In faith we look to God above,
No circumstance can taint His Love.
Paul and Silas showed us the way,
That we should live day to day.
Though we be bound by men or pain.
Our joy in Christ can’t be contained,
As we should always sing and pray.
Tertius
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
Psalms 23:5
A note about “Unfettered Joy”: One of my most favorite stories in all the Bible. While doing a Bible Study on Psalm 23 I came to verse five and was quite curious to the meaning of “He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” I had an idea what this meant, but this story seems to be the real life revealing of this verse. Paul and Silas had not only human enemies against them, but also the more formidable foe of their circumstances. Severely flogged, in the dark, feet in stocks with no idea how long they might be in this terrible place. What kind of buffet did God put before them? Fruit of course! Galatians 5:22, Bon appetite!