Praising God at Midnight

Today’s sermon was on Paul and Silas when they prayed and sang in jail.   It’s the same text that I heard a sermon on by Tony Evans a week or so ago.  And quite convicting!

I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.  Psalm 13:6

Our pastor told a story about a terrible day he had last week.  He had to fly twice the day that  the terrorist plot was uncovered in Britain.  Planes were delayed, connections were being missed, everyone in the airport and on the planes were tense and in a bad mood.  His laptop also died, so he was trying to remember everything that was supposed to go into his sermon for today.  As he was studying the passage on the plane he felt like he had some things in common with Paul and Silas, until it came to the part about singing.

Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Philippians 4:4

Tony Evans said that midnight is the darkest part of our life.  It’s easy to praise God when everything is going our way and we’re feeling happy.  Do you think Paul and Silas were happy?  They had just received a severe flogging and then put in stocks in a dirty, nasty prison.  One commentator said that the pain and cramping was probably so bad that they wouldn’t have been able to sleep even if they wanted to.  So what did they choose to do?  Pray and sing praises to the Lord!

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.  Acts 16:25

Last night when my husband and I were putting the kids to bed I was exhausted.  The kids were misbehaving, and I was in a very bad mood.  Every night we sing a couple of songs as part of the end of the bedtime routine.  After my husband had sung a verse, he said “Everybody sing this time,” looking at me.  I looked up with my gloomy face and said, “I don’t feel well,” but really inside I meant “I don’t want to sing!”  I named my blog “I Choose Joy” but I haven’t been doing that very well lately.  But now I’ve heard it twice and I know God is speaking to me:  Praise and sing always–even if you don’t feel like it!

I will sing to the Lord, I will sing.  Judges 5:3