What Am I Singing?

"And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely; Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." Acts 16:23-25

I'm always amazed when I read this account of Paul and Silas, beaten and jailed in the inner prison, with their feet held in stocks; all because they freed a demon-possessed slave girl.  Her masters saw that their livelihood had just been taken away from them, so they had caught Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the rulers.  They lied about what Paul and Silas had done, and so the multitude rose up against these two innocent men, beat them, threw them in prison and bound them.  I'm sure the jailer had heard what had happened to the four quaternions of soldiers that had been put to death when Peter was rescued from prison by the Angel of the Lord, (Acts 12) so he made sure these men were placed in the inner prison with bound feet.

What amazes me the most, is that being unjustly accused, in the midst of physical pain, and held in stocks, they raised their voices in song and praised the Lord; so much so, that the other prisoners that were there, heard them singing and listened intently.

I've often wondered if God had allowed Paul and Silas to be beaten and imprisoned so that the praises they sang while in adversity would reach the lost prisoners?  The bible doesn't tell us if any prisoners got saved, but I believe a seed was planted in their hearts that night.  (God's Word will not return void.) I'm sure the prisoners were more familiar with curses and groanings, rather than songs to God.

What the bible does tell us is that the jailer got saved that night.  Not only him, but his whole house! Was this the only way salvation would have been brought to the jailer?  I don't know-but God will use whatever purpose He so chooses to reach even one lost soul.

I believe that in the middle of our adversities is when our testimony can either be made or broken.  When I'm in pain, going through a trial, or adversity, do I raise my voice in song and glorify God, or do I raise my voice with murmurings and complaints?

How we handle our adversities will either lead other to Christ...

    or they will lead them away from Christ...

        So, what am I singing in the night?

            But that's just me!

"Anyone can be happy in pleasant circumstances, but real joy comes only from within and is a gift available to Christians at all times.  Instead of cursing men, they blessed God." Stott