Hard Times but Yet Praise

At Midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. (Acts 16:25)


Paul and Silas was called by God and fulfilling the call of God upon their life, but trouble came after them. So much so they were thrown in prison for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Their current situation warranted tears, yelling and screaming but instead they prayed and sang praises unto God. They had joy in yet hard times.  Moments of joy are powerful whether they come in a sprinkle or a torrent.  The joy of the Lord reaches beyond practicality and expectation and touches a profound place in your soul.


Paul knew this kind of joy.  It's what gave him the strength to sing praises to God while in jail.  With great joy, Paul and his friend Silas praised God together behind closed bars.  They were so exuberant in their joy, in fact, that their voices carried to other prisoners' cells.  Had Paul lost his mind? What in the world could he have been joyful about while in jail?  Pauls' joy came not from his surroundings or circumstances, but from his delight in God.  It came from knowing that he was in the center of God's will.  It's relatively easy to find pockets of joy as you observe creation in all its glory, but when your joy is anchored in God, it can infuse all aspects of your life.


The first step to knowing this kind of joy is to recognize that God is with you, no matter what happens or where you are.  God is always near. Or you can think of it this way.  The creator of the universe cares about you so much that he is a constant companion.  there is a certain joy in this knowledge alone.  God desires to be near you, not because He wants to point out your faults, but because He longs to make your life rich and full.


The second step is to acknowledge that God knows what He is doing.  Sometimes this is going to be a challenge, but it's critically important if you desire to know true joy.  You know from experiences that when you delight in God, tears and pain don't magically go away.  You are still going to go through tough times. Know that God has a solid grasp on the big picture, even though from your perspective things may not look all that great.