There is a story of a young girl who was demon-possessed and a qualified fortune teller. A group of men saw an opportunity to make large sums of money from her talents, so they formed a syndicate, bought her time and talents, and made a good deal of money.
Not long after they formed their syndicate, an evangelist and his young associate saw the girl and felt sorry for her. The evangelist stood before her, addressed the demon in her and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” Instantly, the demon left her when he heard the voice of the evangelist.
When the owners of the girl realized that their investment and future income was gone, they succeeded in having Paul and Silas arrested. They were given a bloody beating, and then thrown into a dungeon, and their hands and feet were clamped into stocks.
When we look at this story up to this point, we see two men imprisoned for doing what was good and right, yet they were deeply wronged. Did they stop and pity themselves and complain to the God they were serving? Indeed not! At midnight they began to pray and sing praises to God, and a revival broke out. In fact, the jailer was converted.
One thing that cannot be taken away from a Christian is the presence of Christ. With Him and in Him there is a freedom that only He can give - even at midnight. No doubt they were familiar with the words of the Psalmist: “At midnight I rise to give You thanks.”
Prayer: It’s easy, Father, to give thanks when things are going our way. Give us the strength that we might also give thanks in our trials. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: At midnight I rise to give You thanks. Psalm 119:62
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