Acts 16:23,25 After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the rest of the prisoners were listening.
Corrie and Betsie ten Boom were sent to the concentration camp in Ravensbruck for their part in helping Jewish people escape from the Nazis. Entering the barracks, they were overcome by the stench: the hay on the wooden platforms upon which they would sleep, was rancid. The room was overcrowded, dark, and flea infested. After taking it all in, they wondered how they would survive. Betsie prayed aloud, “Show us. Show us how.” Then she proclaimed, “He has given us the answer! In the Bible this morning. Where was it? Read that again.” In a sliver of light coming through a crack in the wall, Corrie found the passage and read from 1 Thessalonians: “Comfort the frightened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Do not repay evil with evil, but seek to do good to all. Always rejoice, constantly pray, and in everything – give thanks.” “Yes” Betsie said, “that’s it!” She proceeded to challenge her sister that they needed to thank God for every single thing in their appalling barracks. Corrie begrudgingly complied. They even thanked God for the fleas, though Corrie firmly objected that this was going too far. As the weeks went by, they realized there was amazing freedom inside the barracks: the guards never came inside. The ladies were able to hold two services a day in which they read the Bible, discussed what they read, and prayed. Betsie finally discovered the reason the guards wouldn’t come inside. Even when ordered, they refused to step inside. With a smile on her face, Betsie told Corrie, “It’s the fleas. We have freedom in our barracks because of the fleas!”
The Bible doesn’t give us any dialogue between Paul and Silas while in prison. It only says that after being beaten severely with rods, they were praying and singing hymns to God. They did not know that the power of God would soon shake the prison and set them free. They were simply praying and praising God. Perhaps they also wondered how they would survive.
In the midst of the corona craziness, economic difficulties, riots, and tension everywhere, it is easy to focus on things that cause concern instead of on the One who gives us strength. Prayer, praise, and thanksgiving are needed more than ever. In one way this season has been a gift; it has been an evaluation test. I see clearly that I am very little like Jesus. My sincere, daily prayer has become “Fill me with Your spirit, Your character, Your compassion, and Your wisdom.” I feel I am making some progress, but If I were thrown into a rancid, over-crowded, flea infested barracks or given a severe beating, I would most certainly fail. However, for now, I am overcoming some of my own reactionary emotions by following the examples of Paul, Silas, Corrie, and Betsie. As the manna was collected, I am gathering food for my soul every day: “Make me like You, Lord. Give me strength that is beyond me. Thank You that I see how much I need You. Amen!”