ON THE VANGUARD

IT'S ABOUT TO SHAKE
"No weapon formed against you will prosper..."
Isaiah 54:17a

The word 'Earthquake' has been heard often over the past month or so. It wasn't too long ago that Haiti was shook by just this word; this devastation. And as one who spent his childhood in Southern California, I know first hand the fear that comes with an earthquake. Unlike a tornado or hurricane, they sneak up unexpected and catch you off guard. They range from a little jolt to an all out rumble. Each one is different, yet they all have one thing in common. Fear.
The Bible tells us in Acts 16 that while Paul and Silas were preaching in Philippi, an uproar broke out. Paul and Silas had just cast out spirits from a slave girl and as such, the magistrates weren't too happy about it. They ordered the two be placed in jail with a posted guard watching over them. So with their feet in stocks and no way to escape, they made the decision to worship God.
My mind drifts to the movie Facing the Giants. The coach made the decision for the team that win or lose they were going to praise God. Or even the song Praise You in the Storm by Casting Crowns. Life isn't always easy, but we must praise God, trusting He has everything under control.
"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and every body's chains came loose." Acts 16:25-26
Not knowing what was going to happen to them, Paul and Silas still rejoiced and praised God. They trusted that even if this was the end of the road for them, God had every piece working to His benefit. We must remember that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa 55:8). The sovereign Lord God Almighty is in control. He holds our hands and guides our every step. It is He who allows us our next breath. We are nothing without God.
Paul and Silas were bound one minute and being shaken by an earthquake the next minute. When the dust settled they found themselves free from their chains. The chains may have held them in place, but they couldn't hold God back. The weapon that was to be their demise did not prosper. God flexed His muscles and a miracle happened.
Much can be said concerning this story. The moral could be to praise God while you are sitting in your 'jail cell', whatever it may be. The lesson could be the fact that God is in control. Or it could be to encourage us that God has our back. How true it is that there is no chain, no sword, no weapon that can prosper against us. We are all apt for bodily injury, but spiritually, the devil only has power over us when we allow him in. We must shut the door to sin and allow God to be the single Lord of our life. In so doing a hedge of protection is stationed all around us. Evil cannot prosper with God as our rear guard.