As I am preparing for this week’s sermon I am just really struck by how bad “our” faith and “our” walk is sometimes.  I am preaching on Paul this Sunday night and I am just amazed at his life and his example.  The really fascinating thing (without giving away too much of my sermon) is that when things were the absolute worst in his life Paul was the most faithful.  As you read through the text about his some of his journeys and the trials that he found along the way, he generally always ended up getting beaten or thrown in prison or both.  But the one that really stuck out to me was:

 Acts 16:22-25
 22 The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.
 23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;
 24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
 25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

How amazing is that in that here is Paul and Silas who have been basically falsely accused of wrong doing because they affected some individuals income, they were taken and beaten with rods and then placed in prison with stockades around their feet.  Now I am sure that their backs were bleeding and that they were in severe pain and discomfort, but instead of complaining and being angry they began to live their faith and pray and sing hymns to God.  What an amazing example they were for the other prisoners.  And I am sure that the other prisoners were just blown away that they could have such hope and such a joyful spirit at a time like this.  So what is the moral of this blog (So to speak)?  We need to remember as Paul did that there is nothing that is bigger or greater than Jesus.  No matter what our daily situation is He did, can, and will overcome all things.  And as we are going through these valleys in life, remember to continue to give praise and honor to God in spite of all things and let your hope, wisdom, and love for Christ be an example for others to see.