Scripture
They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape.
~Acts 16:23, NLT
Quote
Some flowers grow best in the gloom.
~John H. Jowett
Most plants require a lot of sunlight but there are some rare plants that blossom in the gloom or the shade. Oakleaf Hydrangea for one and some varieties of Impatiens. I know for a fact that tomatoes and cucumbers require a lot of sunlight. The Apostle Paul had to deal with a lot of disappointment. The LORD saved him to a life of suffering. Matter of fact the LORD told Ananias that Paul was His chosen instrument to get the gospel to the Gentiles and the Lord said, “I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Indeed Paul did suffer; he spent more time in jail than any of the Apostles but when his material circumstances became stern, hard and severe, Paul blossomed like a rose in the shade. At Philippi, they shut him in but they could not shut him up or shut him out. At midnight, Paul is singing praises to the top of his lungs. He was a tiny man but he had a huge heart and a big set of lungs. How can anyone explain the experiences of Paul and how God used them to bring glory and honor to Himself. Just when it seemed that Paul’s supreme mission and purpose was broken, God used the Apostle to write all the prison epistles. Among them are such works as Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. How great a blessing Philippians has been to my life and Ephesians is a theological masterpiece on GRACE and the indwelling Spirit. Think about the things we are taught from these precious letters: grace, peace, joy, love, spiritual warfare and the preeminence of Christ in creation. The list of benefits is endless.
When the worldly powers shut Paul in, they did not shut him out. They took his freedom but they could not touch his faith. Paul put on strength and grace like a robe as he blossomed in the gloom. Instead of putting the fire of his zeal for Christ out, they intensified it. I am an expert in burning brush. To burn brush, especially in wet weather, you need lots of diesel fuel and old cooking oil. You also need a match and a blower. If the initial light begins to die down, put a little extra oxygen on your fire with the blower. The air from the blower will intensify the heat of the fire. The world tried to blow Paul’s fire out but they only caused it to burn with more intensity. There is a reason why God doesn’t allow you to get everything you want. There is a reason why He doesn’t give you success in every area of your life. It is not just to humble and teach you, it is to galvanize your faith, to make you stronger and to bring God glory through your witness. Charles Stanley says, “There is nothing you can experience that He won’t use to teach you something important.”
EXTRA
My sister Holly came down and helped me with my computer. My settings were not right and that is why I could not down load a pic. She is also working on the email subscription. We’ve had a hot weeks so far but I think it is supposed to begin cooling a little in the next few days. August is practically gone and Labor Day is upon us. Have a great day and thanks for reading the blog. By the way, Big Mama’s surgery got changed to November 4 so she canceled our cabin in Pigeon Forge for Christmas. It looks like I will be home for Christmas.