“ABOUT MIDNIGHT!”

Acts 16:20-31                                                    (ESV)
“20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.
21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice."
22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.
23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.
24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 “ABOUT MIDNIGHT” Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to GOD,  and the prisoners were listening to them,
26 and 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 BONDS WERE UNFASTENED.
27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."
29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.
30 Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 And they said, "Believe in the LORD JESUS, and you will be SAVED, you and your household."”



As members of the greatest nation in history, Americans need to ask themselves who is benefiting from keeping a controversy stirred in our country?  Why does turmoil rear its ugly head when GOD is about to perform a mighty work?  Since I Believe that Scripture holds the answer to ALL of life’s problems, when things get crazy I try to remind myself WHO is in control!

Paul and Silas were in what MOST would consider a time where GOD was punishing them for being the “chief” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).  Being typical humans, one would expect them to be telling everyone how they had been wronged, how the system had not given them justice.  But they were NOT typical humans!  They were CALLED to serve the MOST HIGH GOD!  When we are serving HIM, our thoughts and actions are not typical.  We do things that “don’t make sense”, that are hard to explain!

Again, Paul and Silas were NOT typical humans!  “ABOUT MIDNIGHT” they were imprisoned, and instead of crying and complaining about their predicament, they were “singing hymns to GOD”!  When an earthquake broke their chains, did the escape from their confinement?  No, they told the jailer “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."  Their concern was NOT ABOUT THEMSELVES, but about the one assigned to keep them captive.

How many times have I been “imprisoned” and been guilty of “singing hymns to GOD”?  When I was released from my captivity, did I run with joy, or did I show concern for the ones inflicting punishment?  Maybe I AM more typical than I want to be?  Maybe I need to EXPECT a hardship so that my jailer can be SAVED, “you and your your household”?  And when should I look for the adversity to come and trouble me?  “ABOUT MIDNIGHT”, of course!!!