Singing in Jail!

| February 09, 2010

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!