Singing Praises At Midnight

November 14

"And when they had laid many stripes on them,
they threw them into prison,
commanding the jailer to keep them securely.
...But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God,
and the prisoners were listening to them.
...Suddenly there was a great earthquake,
so that the foundations of the prison were shaken..."
Acts 16:23, 25, 26

Every time I read this, I marvel at the depth of Paul and Silas's love for the Lord, so complete that they are found singing hymns in prison after having been savagely beaten!!! I wonder if I, after being beaten, would be singing hymns to the Lord.

One evening my sister, my daughter, and granddaughter and I were sitting around my table sharing and praying. We had been discussing this verse, marveling at the kind of dedication and love that could motivate Paul and Silas like this, when all of a sudden - just as in this verse, there was a small earthquake that shook the building. We just looked at each other shocked, our jaws open, stunned.

The message was obvious to each of us - that we must aspire to have the depth of consecration, and the extent of trust that will motivate us to sing praises to God even in our hardest times. This is so pleasing to the Lord that he will move heaven and earth in response. The earthquake set Paul and Silas free and ended up in the salvation of all in the prison.

Discipleship means walking with a totally different mindset than what we walked in previously. Instead of anger, we are to praise. Instead of grief, we are to rejoice. These do not come naturally, they come from the Holy Spirit within us as we grow in the Lord and learn his ways. Once we can do this, we will see earthquakes that will open doors we never thought possible.