Songs in the Night

God has a sense of humor, don't you think?  It is amazing how He teaches me when I am preparing to teach others.  As I prepared a lesson on how we respond to our difficulties, I realized I didn't score very well.

Paul and Silas were thrown in the inner cell of prison with their feet in stocks after they had been stripped, beaten and flogged (Acts 16).  All this happened to them because they did the right thing - commanded the demonic spirit to come out of the slave girl, in the name of Jesus.

While Paul and Silas were in jail, "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God." (Acts 16:25)  Is that how you respond to difficulties?

Prayer is one of my early responses when difficulties come, but I often spend a lot of time in tears before the song comes.  God is the only one who can give us songs in the night - songs in our suffering.  "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?" (Job 35:10)   The psalmist said, "at night His song is with me" (Psalm 42:8).  We must surrender/release our hurts, difficulties and sufferings to Him and trust Him with them.

Prayer:  Lord, teach me to surrender everything to You - all my hurts, disappointments, changes in my plans, interruptions, etc.  As I learn to surrender, help me trust You with the results - even the timing of the results.  Give me songs in the night.