What are the things you do about midnight? Personally I am long asleep by then on most nights. There is the rare occasion when I am still awake, but it doesn't happen very often.
The other day I was reading Acts 16 when I came to verse 25. It says, "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." Paul and Silas had been arrested and thrown in prison earlier that day. The next morning they were going to stand before the rulers for the crimes they had been accused of. Not only had they been arrested, they had been beaten with rods, all for telling others about the news of Jesus. Their response was to sing songs! I am not sure that would have been my response. My train of thought would have been more along the lines of wanting to sleep.
The other part of this verse I find amazing is that the other prisoners were listening to them. It seems to me they would be more likely to complain and tell Paul and Silas to be quiet. But it says very clearly the other prisoners were listening. What an amazing witness. Paul and Silas were still willing to praise God after what landed them in prison earlier in the day.
The story continues on about how there was an earthquake; the prisoners all stayed after their chains fell off, the jailer and his family became believers, and Paul and Silas were released. So many important and miraculous events occurred after midnight, but it started with a simple song about midnight.
For us it may not literally be midnight, but what will we do when we are in the middle of something that isn't going our way? Will we walk away, shut down, sleep, or turn on the person we are with? All of these are natural human responses. What would happen if we follow Paul and Silas' lead and sing some praises to God? Personally I am going to challenge myself that the next time I end up in a tough situation I will try to remember this verse and turn my praise back to God. I challenge you to try to do the same.
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