Singing in Prison

Did you know that singing can bring healing and health to the temporal lobes and maybe the deep limbic system of your brain? In a recent book by Dr. Daniel Amen called Change Your Brain Change Your Life there is considerable evidence that humming, singing and even talking can enhance the part of our brains that is responsible for mood and memory. I have a friend who says she can’t wait to get to Heaven when she’ll be able to sing with the angels since people here don’t appreciate her voice! The act itself is good for us and it can often bring us closer to God. Look at how Paul and Silas experienced that when in prison:

²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown in to prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ 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. ²⁷ The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” (Acts 16:23-28)

Imagine sitting in a cold, dark prison and the new guys start singing in the middle of the night. Well, you’re not really getting much sleep anyway so why not have a listen? But why are prisoners praying out loud and singing in the dark? Why does the caged bird sing, after all?

Because the alternative is to shrivel up and concede that the darkness is more powerful and allow the lie that God is not able to save and comfort to become truth in our minds. Paul and Silas chose to run to God for solace and believe the truth they’d come to know about Him, namely that He is all-powerful and all-loving and present with them, even in difficult circumstances. Joseph must have discovered something similar in prison when he was falsely accused of acting inappropriately with the wife of Pharaoh’s official, Potiphar. And Daniel had to have experienced God’s presence in the lions’ den when the angry leaders had him thrown in for praying, of all things! And I would guess that the prophet Jeremiah found comfort in God when his enemies threw him into a dry well and left him for dead because of the unpleasant messages he was speaking. How can we know that these men relied on God in their trouble? Because of what they said and how they acted when they were freed. Only time with God produces the kind of character and clarity that these followers of God modeled after their brushes with death. And in all of those cases – Old and New Testament examples – the people around them were influenced or dramatically changed because of the faith of those imprisoned.

Not surprisingly, I see some patterns in these stories that can be applied to our lives by asking a few questions about the scene that was played out.

Why were Paul and Silas in prison? There had been a slave girl with a spirit by which she predicted the future and earned a great deal of money for her owners that ran into Paul and Silas as they were out and about preaching and healing in the name of Jesus. They cast that spirit out of her when they saw that it wasn’t of God and the people went nuts, having them beaten and thrown in jail. Their imprisonment came about because of their obedience to God’s call on their lives. Seasons of darkness are sometimes caused by our disobedience, but sometimes they come when we are doing everything right. And God’s timing and plan are always perfect.

How did Paul and Silas respond to their circumstances? They were praying and singing. Their focus was on God, not their situation. They chose hope over despair and faith over fear. In Bill Hybel’s book, Too Busy Not to Pray, he says that the key to prayer that builds our faith is to focus not on the mountain that needs moving, but on the mountain-mover Himself. If we discipline ourselves to focus on God and His character instead of our circumstances or our pain, we will be more likely to connect the dots when He actually answers our prayer.

What happened when they prayed? The first question I wrote in my journal when I read this passage was, “What were they praying for?” Could Paul and Silas have possibly been praying for what eventually happened? How could they have even imagined this outcome?! But they put themselves in a position to hear from God, to be comforted by Him, and to see Him do whatever He was going to do, and then did He ever deliver! Earthquake, doors flying open, prisoners’ chains coming undone, the jailer falling to his knees wanting to be saved… what?! Even if Paul and Silas didn’t expect God to show up exactly like this, there was no doubt that He was acting since there was no other possible explanation. When we pray in the darkness, even when we don’t know exactly what to pray for, we can expect something and be ready for anything.

As I looked back over times in my life that were particularly trying, I tried to lay these filters over my circumstances to see how they applied in my life. What did I do in those times when life fell apart? And did God show up?

I begged. There were many times when my prayers weren’t eloquent – or even comprehensible. They consisted of “Pleeeeeez…” when waiting for blood test results for my son during his cancer treatment. I relied heavily on Romans 8:26 when my marriage was falling apart: “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” My guttural prayers were certainly in that category.

I asked, “What are you showing me?” That question became its own prayer in hard times as I desperately searched for meaning in my suffering and wanted so badly to please God and become more like him – especially if it meant this hard lesson could be over! No joke.

I relied on what I knew was true. We don’t have to believe every thought that comes in our heads and it’s wise not to, especially when wild emotions and circumstances are involved. Memorizing key Scriptures when life is going well is crucial to having a foundation to fall back on when it’s not. Even when I didn’t feel it, I told myself over and over that God did, in fact, want what was best for me and the He was, in fact, in control of my circumstances. I willed myself to believe what was true, not what I felt. That was huge.

I would never choose the most difficult periods of my life over comfort and unadulterated joy, but in retrospect, I can fully embrace them and be thankful because I now know God more deeply than I would if life had been easy. And the people around me have been changed along with me because of those times. That’s not coincidence; it’s how God operates. Yes, Paul and Silas were freed from their chains, but God’s plan included the jailer and his family, too. Yes, Joseph got out of prison by interpreting the Pharaoh’s dream, but God’s plan included all of Jacob’s children and the entire nation of Israel, ultimately. People are watching us in dark times and the result of trusting God and focusing on Him in that darkness has an impact on those around us. We can pray like Elijah, before King Ahab and prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel: “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” (1 Kings 18:37) That, I’m convinced, is one of His favorite prayers.

• What Scripture do you rely upon in hard times? When did you first discover its comfort and relevance? How has God used that Scripture in your life since then? If you don’t have places in the Bible that you turn to in hard times, do a search and memorize one or more verses for future reference.

• Read more of the story. Expand on today’s lesson by going to Acts 16:16-40 and reading the context surrounding Paul and Silas’ imprisonment. Where do you see yourself in this story? Did you have a dramatic conversion experience when you first came into a relationship with Christ? Have you seen God show up in unexplainable ways when you were crying out to Him in prayer or song? Spend some time praying over this passage and asking God to reveal something new about Himself and your relationship with Him.

Hard Truth

Have you ever seen kids stick their fingers in their ears and chant, “I can’t hear you. La la la la la”? Imagine how ridiculous adults would look if that was the way we chose to deal with difficult truths in life. And although I don’t know anyone who actually does that, the effect is the same when we refuse to hear God’s truth from Him directly or from those He has sent to reveal truth to us.

I am convinced more and more that some people simply do not want to hear the truth if it is painful, inconvenient or unpleasant, even if they know that pushing through the hard part will ultimately bring freedom and higher quality relationships. They are in denial, averse to confrontation, or just plain scared. It’s human nature, to some degree, to seek comfort in our lives and to avoid pain. However, because humans have the capacity to reason instead of just react, we can choose what seem to be difficult actions in order to reap a greater reward. No pain, no gain. Case in point, the prophet Amos.

As a southerner preaching bad news in the north, his message was not received well. This shepherd-turned-prophet was called by God to tell the nation of Israel that her time of freedom as a nation was coming to an end due to stubborn rebellion. Instead of turning to God in repentance, one of the nation’s priests threatens Amos and twists his words to protect the people and the king from hearing the cold, hard truth that God’s patience had come to an end.

¹⁰ Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. ¹¹ For this is what Amos is saying:

“ ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,

and Israel will surely go into exile,

away from their native land.’ ”

¹² Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. ¹³ Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king's sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”

¹⁴ Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. ¹⁵ But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ ¹⁶ Now then, hear the word of the LORD…” (Amos 7:10-16)

Amos was minding his own business taking care of sheep and sycamore-fig trees when God specifically commissioned him with the task of bringing a message of coming wrath to Israel. He didn’t want to go preach the message any more than the people wanted to hear it. But that didn’t matter nearly as much as God’s desire and sovereign timing to bring His plan to fruition. So whether we find ourselves in the role of truth telling or truth hearing, there are some lessons here on what to do and what not to do in order to allow God’s truth to have its effect in our lives and in the lives of people around us.

Amaziah was a priest in Bethel, where after the ten northern tribes broke away from Judah and Benjamin under the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam, a new temple was set up to keep people from having to travel all the way to Jerusalem to worship. Forget the fact that this was contrary to God’s plan from the beginning. Things went from bad to worse once anyone could become a priest, and the worship of Yahweh became adulterated by being mixed with other religions from surrounding areas. Since the temple in Bethel was set up by the rebel kings and run by priests of their choice, Amaziah and King Jeroboam II must have felt they had some control over the messages that were spoken there. Even so, Amaziah made a couple of mistakes:

1) He twisted Amos’ words. Amos never plotted against King Jeroboam and he never said that he would die by the sword. It’s true that God’s message included exile for the nation of Israel, but Amaziah’s reluctance to hear something negative compelled him to turn God’s message into a false one of treason. This is a great example of what not to do when someone is trying to tell us what we may not want to hear. We need to be sure we are hearing the actual message and not making up parts as we go along. This penchant for mixing truth with fiction is not only what makes the slumber party game of “Telephone” so amusing; it’s also one of Satan’s best tricks to whip us into an emotional frenzy and paralyze us from any sort of useful action. Practically speaking, repeating back to someone what you think you heard is very helpful in the communication process so anger and defensive attitudes don’t overrule what God is trying to do in our lives through a message of truth.

2) He sent away the truth. Amaziah told Amos to go back home and stop speaking hard words to the people. He was ostensibly trying to protect the people and the king, but in reality was declaring a “no conflict zone” in what he called “the king’s sanctuary” (Amos 7:13). Instead of bringing the nation’s leader in on the issue, Amaziah blurred the lines of church and state to such a degree that the temple of God and the temple of the kingdom were synonymous! God will not allow any political leader to dictate His message. Instead of dealing with the dilemma head on, Amaziah effectively closed his ears (and his heart) to what God was trying to tell him through Amos. And Amaziah was supposed to be working for God! Proverbs 27:6 says that “wounds from a friend can be trusted”. When someone we know and trust comes to us with hard things to hear, there is value in pushing through the discomfort to hear what God has for us. We do ourselves no favors and sell ourselves short by sending away those in our lives who would tell us the truth.

What about Amos? As a reluctant and untrained prophet, Amos had to depend fully on God to supply the message and to do damage control when the audience was less than pleased with the delivery. From this short book bearing his name we can gather the following information about Amos:

1) His message was from God. Amos was minding his own business with the sheep when God gave him visions of locusts, fire, fruit, destruction, desolation, and ultimate justice. He tells Amaziah this when he is threatened. Look at verse 15: “But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ ” The message, its timing, its recipients, and the prophet were all orchestrated by God Himself. He alone took the initiative and there was nothing to gain for Amos in delivering the message. This is one way to test our motivation in telling others a hard truth. What are we hoping for? If our goal in speaking what is true is to humiliate, dominate or hurt another person, chances are the message is not one God wants us to speak. If, on the other hand, after praying about the issue and asking God to open up channels of communication, we sense Him prompting us to speak and we are hoping for reconciliation or understanding in the relationship, it is easier to trust that God is in it.

2) He was bold and courageous. Although one doesn’t necessarily think of shepherds as being brave as warriors, there are complementary skill sets. David told King Saul that he had battled lions and bears to protect his flock of sheep, so the giant Goliath didn’t scare him. (1 Sam. 17:36) Amos must have had confidence in his skills to come into a foreign nation to preach bad news, but more importantly, he must have had confidence in the God who sent him. He had so much confidence, in fact, that he was being led and strengthened by God, that his response to Amaziah’s threat was to deliver a personal message from God concerning his own future: “Your wife will become a prostitute…and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword…and you yourself will die in a pagan country.” (Amos 7:17) When God has called us to speak truth and our confidence is firmly rooted in Him, we can speak and act with boldness, knowing that He who called us is faithful and that His strength and grace are sufficient for us in our weakness.

If we are wise we will engage the truth when it appears in our lives and we will commit to speaking and living it with passion. Anything less is choosing a shallow relationship with God and with others. There is immeasurable value in allowing hard words of truth to penetrate our defenses. Jesus comforted the disciples by telling them that the Holy Spirit would come after His departure and that He would guide them (and us) into all truth. (John 16:13) We can trust that God’s Spirit will reveal truth to us with the purpose of revealing Himself and transforming us into His image. And He who calls us is faithful.

• When have you had to speak hard truth to a friend or family member? What emotions were you experiencing? Fear? Trepidation? Were you afraid that the message you were going to deliver might not be from God? How did you proceed?

• What is normally your reaction to hearing something difficult about yourself? Does it matter who delivers the message? How do you determine what is true and what’s not?

• What is your reaction to Jesus’ words in John 8:31-32, when he says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”? What are the implications of that truth in your life?

God's Part and Our Part

What if you were told that you had to go up on the tight rope in the circus and walk from one end of the tent to the other? Here’s the deal: there’s a net beneath you that will catch you and you won’t die. Also good news, your body has been supernaturally strengthened so that you will heal from the scrapes and bruises when you fall. And an expert will walk with you the whole way. But there is some bad news, too. You will fall. That’s certain. Over and over again. And the crowd will boo you and throw things at you the whole time. But you have to walk – no other option. And here are your instructions to prepare for this task: Get ready, don’t be afraid, and walk. Are you excited?

The prophet Jeremiah faced a similar dilemma. Don’t rack your brain trying to remember the circus scene from Sunday school when you learned about the Old Testament prophets. That twist is mine. But the scenario has some similarities. Look at the passage I’m referring to:

¹⁷ “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. ¹⁸ Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land – against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. ¹⁹ They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 1:17-19)

This is the introduction to the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, named after the prophet who wrote it. He also is credited with the book of Lamentations, which comes right after Jeremiah in the Bible. He is known in many circles as “The Weeping Prophet” because he really didn’t have much good news for the nation of Judah. His tenure as prophet came toward the end of the 5^th century B.C. And his job was a tough one, as we can learn from his marching orders in this first chapter. Earlier in the chapter, God tells Jeremiah that he has been set apart from before birth to say whatever God commands him as he has been appointed as a prophet to the nations to tell of their pending destruction and captivity. Yay.

This particular passage sets up the rest of the book and is perfect foreshadowing for Jeremiah’s plight as a bearer of bad news. As with most of the Old Testament prophets, however, God’s punishment for His children is because of centuries of disobedience and hard-hearted, stiff-necked attitudes and behaviors. And there is always the good news of restoration and redemption for the repentant.

So what does this passage have to do with us, thousands of years later? That’s the exciting part! Look at what God is responsible for and what Jeremiah is responsible for in this arrangement.

Here is God’s part.

He will command Jeremiah what to say. (1:17) God is responsible for the message. In His perfect sovereignty and knowledge, He will instruct Jeremiah in every situation so that the words coming out of Jeremiah’s mouth will perfectly reflect God’s message.

He has made Jeremiah strong (fortified city, iron pillar, bronze wall) to stand against the enemies that will fight him. (1:18) This is in the past tense; it’s already been done. Jeremiah has already been given everything he needs to be successful at the task God has called him to. And the imagery is of materials that are impenetrable, sturdy and designed to withstand great force from enemies. This is exactly what Jeremiah needs for God’s assignment.

He is with Jeremiah. (1:19) The ultimate defense is having God with you. The Presence of God Almighty was what guided the fleeing Hebrews in the desert after their escape from Egypt. God’s Presence comforted and rescued the faithful Hebrews Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when the king had thrown them in the fiery furnace. God’s Presence comforted Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and gave Him courage to face the cross. When God says, “I am with you” it is enough.

He will rescue Jeremiah. (1:19) There will be hard times ahead for the prophet, but God’s promise for the future is that He will rescue His servant from the enemies that will attack him. The going will be tough, but God will save Jeremiah to continue preaching His message.

So if God has covered Jeremiah past, present and future, what’s left for Jeremiah to do? That’s where we can learn something. Look at Jeremiah’s job description:

Get yourself ready! This term in the Hebrew language has a military connotation that implies the act of a soldier wrapping a sash or belt around himself to prepare for combat. A physical and preemptive action before an enemy attack. In the seasons of life, there are actions we can take to prepare ourselves for the next spiritual challenge. There are times of struggle and there are times of peace. The times of peace are for preparation. Getting ready. If we seek God in our times of peace, His Presence will be more tangible and we will be better equipped to face the times of difficulty.

Stand up and obey. There is to be no cowering obedience for Jeremiah. No apologetic delivery of God’s pronouncement of coming wrath. He is to stand and speak God’s message loud and proud! And everything in this section of Scripture indicates that Jeremiah will know when it’s time to speak – when the time of preparation is over. And then… action! Speak away! God’s instructions to Joshua were of a fighting nature, too, but they were definitely military in nature. Jeremiah is to speak. Everyone has a specific calling from God and when we discover it, we are to move. But only when we’ve prepared. See how it all fits together? It would be easier if not for this last part…

Do not be terrified. After preparation to move, there’s that part about controlling fear. This seems to say that we can control our fear. The root word of this has definitions that include cracking, shattering, and panic. There will be an adrenaline rush at the moment of obedience, and that may be the inklings of fear. But we do, in fact, have control over our thoughts and emotions and we can act in spite of them when necessary. 2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. We decide between fight and flight. We limit our fear when we remember God’s promises and how He has come through for us in the past and how He will be faithful in the future.

So how do we prepare for a challenge ahead? How do we control our fear? And how do we move forward in obedience, even against opposition? By focusing on what God has done, is doing and will do in our lives when we partner with Him to advance His Kingdom. He has created us and called us to live unique and dynamic lives in intimate relationship with Him. Sometimes we are in a season of preparation and waiting and then the command to move comes. Will we be ready? What are we seeking in the meantime? Where is our focus? These are questions worth pondering. So get ready, control your fear, and obey!

Read the following passages and write or think about what they tell you about God’s activity in your life. What is your response to these truths? How can they make a difference in your life if you really lived as if they were true?

•Deuteronomy 31:6 •Psalm 118:6,7 •Matthew 28:20

•Ephesians 1:3-14 •2 Peter 1:3-4 •Revelation 2:10