Middle of the Night

I've read a story many times... It's about two men who were thrown in jail for preaching... And I know you're probably thinking that would never happen in a world so free as our world today but contrary to popular opinion people are thrown in jail for just that in many countries today... And lest we forget in the USA a young student was shot at Columbine High School because she would not say she didn't believe in God.  The story I'm talking about if found in Acts 16:25 and this story ended a lot differently than the Columbine shooting.

It was at midnight... Paul and Silas sitting along side each other chained to the wall in a dark, cold, damp, dirt floor jail cell... Midnight is called "mid" night because it's the middle of the night, still with a long time of darkness ahead. But knowing they were only half way through the night Paul and Silas began to sing and what did God do? Well, He didn't make it morning immediately... The sun didn't break the night sky and warm the cell, no blue birds were singing and they definitely didn't smell coffee being brewed nor did they hear eggs and bacon crackling on the grill...  No, Paul and Silas still had to go through the rest of the night time but God broke the chains of bondage in the night! 

God may not take you OUT of the dark night in your life he just may take you THROUGH it! Jesus is THE CHAIN BREAKER and you do not have to remain emotionally chained up by your circumstance! You do not have to be depressed because of what time it is in your life or the darkness that surrounds you; just lift God higher in your own eyes. Hold onto the fact that morning is coming and nothing can stop the morning!! Do not remain in the prison of fear, depression or even inadequacy you've set up in your own mind!  

I know, I most likely don't personally know you and even if I do I'm probably not sure what every circumstance in your life is... I don't know the pain the chains and beatings of your past or even current life situations have caused... But I know for sure morning is coming.. You may only be in the middle of your night, those last hours of darkness may seem like days, weeks, months or years of cold, damp, dirt floor cell imprisonment but God is listening for your praise... Yes, your praise in spite of what time it is or where you are... He's waiting to hear your voice lift him up so he can break the chains holding you captive and shake the foundation of your prison! You're not praising because you're happy about your current position in life, not because you're comfortable or content within your circumstances but because you know morning is coming!

MORNING IS COMING!