Singing in the Rain

​Sometimes life can rain on our parade.
 
The Apostle Paul obeyed the Lord’s leading and preached in Europe, Opposition raised its ugly head. Paul and his faithful gospel sidekick Silas suddenly find themselves incarcerated behind bars in a Philippian jail.
 
Acts 16:22-34 describes the rain on their parade. Beaten with rods, many harsh blows were mercilessly inflicted on their bare backs. Shocked and bleeding from their flesh-tearing wounds, they were then thrown into the inner prison with their feet locked in the stocks. Not the best ministry day.
 
Midnight rolls around. Most prisoners in their painful predicament would be licking their wounds, cursing men and God, and trying to sleep it off.
 
Not Paul and Silas.
 
“But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”  Acts 16:25
 
They were singing in the rain. Praying and praising their Creator instead of crying. Worshipping instead of whining! Singing instead of sighing. Rejoicing in jail. Amazing!
 
It is important to note as they sang hymns of praise and fellow prisoners listened to them (verse 25). They sang loud enough to be heard. No shame there! No muted or muffled vocal music. They sang boldly from their hearts so they could be heard.
 
Paul and Silas could not keep silent about God.
 
SUDDENLY, their prayer and praise service elicited a supernatural response. “A great earthquake” shook the prison foundation, thrust open the doors, and every prisoner’s chains fell off (verse 26)! The jailer was so shook up that he drew his sword to take his life (verse 27). Paul assured the jail keeper everyone was present and accounted for. Deeply moved and in awe of what he was witnessing, the jailer brought the prisoners out and asked “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (Verses 28-30).
 
Paul preached (after midnight!) the good news, the jailer and his entire family was saved and the jailer fed Paul and Silas in his home and “rejoiced greatly” (verses 31-34)
 
A MIRACLE AT MIDNIGHT! God’s servants were miraculously delivered, imprisoned souls heard the Gospel, and a jailer and his whole family were converted! No small stir in Philippi. Not a bad ministry day after all!
           
How could all of this have happened?
 
PAUL AND SILAS WERE SINGING IN THE RAIN!
 
When life rains on your parade, what is your typical response? Pit-party or prayer? Suck your thumb or sing God’s praises?
 
Paul and Silas’s midnight praise party teaches us three things.
 
1. Our body may be imprisoned, but our spirit is always free.
2. Our body may be wracked with pain, but our spirit can still sing.
3. Shackles cannot keep God’s songbirds from singing!
 
For Paul and Silas, even though it was cloudy and gloomy in their prison cell, the Son was shining brightly inside their hearts.
 
So, I ask you today: Is your parade being rained on? Has life turned upside down? Have your plans fallen through? Has someone you counted on left you holding the bag? Have you suffered an unexpected setback? Is your heart hurting because you have lost someone or something? Has a hope been dashed? An expectation unrealized? A desire unmet?
 
When dark gray storm clouds roll over your life, thunder booms, lightning flashes and rain dumps on your parade, do you feel like saying rain, rain go away…and please do not come back another day?
 
Our natural feelings will resist praising God in a challenging time. To our natural man praising God in the rain DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. Singing when hurting seems so ridiculous. If we are to be honest, sometimes we would rather cancel the parade rather than sing in the rain!
 
But faith is not to be ruled by feelings.
 
Paul and Silas were men of faith. They trusted God when it was raining on their parade. When it is raining on our parade, our spiritual man must rise up, overrule the natural feelings and make the decision to sing with faith.
 
When rain is pouring down, as Christians, you and I need to stop ringing our hands in worry and fear and start singing and raise our hands in faith to praise our Lord and Savior.
 
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
 
 You never know who might be watching when rain pours into your life. The prisoners, jailer and his entire family were positively influenced by Paul and Silas’s midnight song service. And God is watching how you handle adversity too. Are you in the habit of singing in the rain? Who knows who may come to Christ because you sang in the rain!
 
When the rain is falling, raise your hands, open your mouth and praise the Lord! Then expect a miracle!
 
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.”                                         Psalm 34:1-3
 
A Word For Your Week: Singing God’s praises paves the way for deliverance from difficulties.