But at Midnight...

 I'm sorry, I've never wanted to have one of those mysterious blogs where the writer disappears and everyone wonders what happened to them! But I'm not really ready to say I'll never blog again, so... you'll have to bear with me! 

Then the multitude rose up together against them (Paul and Silas); and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 16:22-25

Have you ever really thought about this story? Can you image being beaten with a rod and then fastened in the stocks. You're in, I'm sure, incredible pain, but you can't even move to find the most comfortable position. They weren't gracious enough to kill you, no, they just made sure you were absolutely miserable. It goes on to say: "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God." They make it look so easy that we can miss the choice these two men made. BUT, as in, despite this great injustice and the incredible pain they were in, at midnight we find them singing and praying. 

A lot of statements could have followed that but. I'd praise the Lord...

But I don't feel it.

But it's not fair that this happened.

But it's my fault this happened.

But I just can't.

But I'm too weak.

But no one understands what I've been through.

But I'm not like Paul and Silas.

But...

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (25)

One night I was feeling rather deflated. Between monthly migraines (which I was currently having) and the ups and downs of autoimmune disease I was feeling a bit like life had beaten me with rods, thrown me in prison and locked my feet in the stocks. Still, not wanting to wallow in mental defeat or self-pity I sought the Lord on how to walk out these challenges. His answer was, Praise.

But (despite the fact that I still had a migraine and wasn't really "feeling" like it) at nine Rachel was praying and singing to God. Praising in "prison" was something I began doing way back when I first started getting migraines. I find it refreshes and encourages me even if it doesn't cure me. I don't feel like I'm under the thumb of my physical body when I'm praising.

 

Still, the other night as I was singing I sought the Lord for the good, what good is this? Yes, the suffering turns me to praise, but I was pacing my bedroom floor, in the basement, at night, by myself. Nobody is seeing or hearing me down here, what then is the benefit? 

...and the prisoners were listening to them. (25)

The Lord brought me back to the story. Who is listening to your life? They may not be there in your prison at midnight when you choose to praise (instead of pileup in the corner and feel sorry for yourself). But your life will keep singing out the choice you made there. If you decided to pileup in the corner and feel sorry for yourself, trust me, people are going to hear it. 

And this wasn't a casual listening these prisoners were doing, Strong's lends the insight that they were intently hearing Paul and Silas. 

Then look at what happens next...

Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

Acts 16:26

Huh? Wait a second, Paul and Silas choose (despite the injustice of the situation and their incredible pain) to praise the Lord. Then EVERYONE'S prison door was opened and EVERYONE'S chains are loosed? Paul and Silas chose to praise in the midnight of their suffering and anyone who was listening (being everyone in the prison) was freed. 

Think about that... 

Praising isn't just about killing your flesh or silencing self-pity for a night, it's a powerful declaration of a life altering decision. You're choosing that even here, in this darkness, suffering, and defeat, I'm going to declare the goodness and faithfulness of my God. But this declaration isn't for Him, it's for you. He already knows who He is and how great He is, we need to know it, we need to say it, and when the Enemy is lying against the promises of God we need to declare afresh what voice we're going to follow, whose words we're going to believe. And when we do, the Lord can shake the foundations of prisons through our praise. Prison doors are opened and chains are loosed, not only for our listeners, but for us. 

Praise looses the shackles the challenges of life try to put on our minds and it brings us back to our source of Life, the Savior, Father, and Friend who can see us through any trial we face. 

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 16:25