Acts 16: 25 "Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening."
Paul and Silas were in Philippi and had been arrested for releasing a demon from a possessed girl. Upon their arrest, they were stripped and beaten with wooden rods. The text says in verse 23, they were "severely beaten." That night in jail, Paul and Silas are reported to have been "praying and singing hymns to God."
Now if I had been beaten with wooden rods and thrown into jail, I probably would be praying a lot. I'm not sure if I would have it in me to sing. Maybe they were singing sad hymns of mourning? But my image of Paul leads me to believe they were not so sad, but rather they were praising God. I have tough things to deal with sometimes. Life can be difficult. But I never have been beaten and arrested for my faith. I need to learn from Paul and Silas' example and always rejoice and praise God in every circumstance.
Dear Jesus, help me to always have a "glass half full" mentality and to praise you in every storm and circumstance. Amen.
