Acts 16:23-25, 29-32 “And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them … Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.”
Psalm 66:8 “O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard”
Psalm 100:1-2 “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”
During the last ten days, humanity has marveled at the strength, courage, and resilience of the Ukrainian people. Many of these Ukrainian patriots are quick to point out that the invasion didn’t just start a week ago, but eight years ago. These proud people have been under siege for nearly a decade. Yet, for them, life goes on.
One of the most encouraging and challenging clips from the last two weeks came from a subway station in Kyiv. It was there that a group of Ukrainian Christians were recorded singing “Let My Prayer Flow” as they praised God, and called for His protection and provision for them, their families, and their fellow citizens. It is a powerful clip of God’s people calling for God’s presence in the midst of chaos and conflict. It is a poignant sign of their faithfulness to an all-loving, all-powerful God as an active and positive response to their challenging circumstances. The world is listening, we have heard them, we must learn from them, and we must continue to pray for them. We must similarly draw strength from Him and draw others to His presence.
As we find ourselves in a similar subway station in our own lives, we must follow their example. While we may never find ourselves in this particular type of conflict, our own circumstances sometimes figuratively cast us into an inner prison with our feet held fast in stocks. Whenever we find ourselves there, others are listening. Our active and positive response to challenging circumstances is a sign of our faithfulness to our all-loving, all-powerful God. Through it all, we can draw strength from Him and draw others to His presence.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE AND UKRAINIAN CHRISTIANS. May their faithfulness challenge and encourage us to sing in the subway whenever we face challenges in our own lives.
