But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Acts 16:25
Your joy as a Christian should not depend on your circumstances.Joy comes from God, and therefore it cannot be affected by what isoutside of you. Don’t be fooled into letting the actions of othersdetermine your joy. True joy comes from knowing that God Himself liveswithin you and has fellowship with you, regardless of yourenvironment. Real joy lies in the knowledge that holy God hascompletely forgiven you of every sin, and even now, He has a homeprepared in heaven where you can spend eternity with Him (John 14:3).The circumstances of your life cannot change these truths!
Paul andSilas faced some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. Theywere falsely accused, arrested, and imprisoned. They were beaten andshackled in the darkest, coldest section of the prison. But theyrefused to allow their horrific situation to dampen their joy! Theydid not blame God for allowing these things to happen to them.Instead, they praised Him for His goodness! In the darkness of thenight, they prayed and they sang. God brought a miracle that releasedthem from their chains, but perhaps the greater miracle was that HisHoly Spirit could so fill them that even in their painful imprisonmentthey could overflow with joy! Do not allow difficult events to cancelthe joy of knowing you are a child of God. Choose to allow God’sSpirit to fill you with His unquenchable joy, and your life will be amiracle to those who watch you face the trials that come.
