Singing in Jail!
Scripture: Leviticus 10-12, Acts 16
Acts 16:25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.
Observation:
Paul and Silas had been arrested, stripped and severely beaten with wooden rods, and then locked in stocks in a prison—all without the trial that was their right as Roman citizens. They had plenty of reasons to be angry, discouraged, and frustrated, not only with the Philippian authorities, but with God! Instead, they are praying and singing hymns of praise. It’s joy in jail; they are rejoicing and singing in the midst of injustice, pain and suffering.
Application:
Small things often make me grumpy. I can react to hardships, even little ones (certainly much smaller than what Paul and Silas faced), with grumbling, whining, discouragement, and depression. They sang! I want to respond to circumstances with prayer and praise, not grumbling and whining. I want to sing more, praise more, pray more. It comes back to simply trusting God; God is always working, even when I’m in jail unjustly. So sing! Sing praises!
Prayer:
Lord, I love you! And I thank you that you are always at work in my life, even in the hard times. So remind me to praise you, to sing instead of grumble!
Comments(1) Login to Post Comments
Stephanie Wolfe on Apr 27, 2010 3:07pm
Singing can really be the healing power key! I can remember a time when I was alone in the woods being watched by a cougar. I felt as if I was literally being hunted, Satan prowling like a lion...a mountain lion actually. Strangly there, I began to sing, "Your love is amazing, Steady and unchanging, your love is a....." It left. Songs of Praise connect me to the Perfectly Powerful God that "knows me by name." So sing away!