Singing in the Rain
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
16 One day on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl. She had a spirit in her that gave her the power to tell the future. By doing this she made a lot of money for her owners. 17 The girl followed Paul and the rest of us, and she kept yelling, “These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how to be saved.” 18 This went on for several days. Finally, Paul got so upset that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to leave this girl alone!” At once the evil spirit left her. 19 When the girl's owners realized they had lost all chances for making more money, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into court. 20 They told the officials, “These Jews are upsetting our city! 21 They are telling us to do things we Romans are not allowed to do.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off the two men and ordered them to be beaten with a whip. 23 After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully. 24 The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. 26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don't harm yourself! No one has escaped.” 29 The jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. 30 After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home.” 32 Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord. 33 While it was still night, the jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and bruises. Then he and everyone in his home were baptized. 34 They were very glad they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas to his home and gave them something to eat. 35 The next morning the officials sent some police with orders for the jailer to let Paul and Silas go. 36 The jailer told Paul, “The officials have ordered me to set you free. Now you can leave in peace.” 37 But Paul told the police, “We are Roman citizens, and the Roman officials had us beaten in public without giving us a trial. They threw us into jail. Now do they think they can secretly send us away? No, they cannot! They will have to come here themselves and let us out.” 38 When the police told the officials that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, the officials were afraid. 39 So they came and apologized. They led them out of the jail and asked them to please leave town. 40 But Paul and Silas went straight to the home of Lydia, where they saw the Lord's followers and encouraged them. Then they left.
Acts 16:16-40
Memory Verse
Proverbs 3: 5-6
5 With all your heart you must trust the and not your own judgment. 6 Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.
Have you ever gone camping with your family and then it started to rain? You might have had to cancel the family hike and couldn’t start a campfire to enjoy those s’mores you were so looking forward to eating. Maybe you woke up in the morning soaked because the tent leaked? When stuff like that happens, it can leave you disappointed, frustrated, or even angry.
I wonder if Paul and Silas had similar feelings as they sat on the cold prison floor. They had followed God, told people about Jesus, and even healed a servant girl— and instead of being happy, the people threw them in jail. Even though this was not what they had hoped for, they prayed and sang songs, worshipping God. What did the other people in the prison think when they heard Paul and Silas praying and singing? Paul and Silas knew God was with them right there in prison. Have you had any moments when you knew God was with you? How about your parents or another trusted adult friend? Do they have stories they can tell about times in their lives when they knew that God was with them?
So if something happens this week that does not go the way you want, remember Paul and Silas stuck in prison singing hymns and praying to God. Can you respond to your difficulties in the same way? Maybe you could sing a song you have sung at church or heard on the radio, or you could say a Bible verse you have memorized. Maybe you could say this prayer when you need to remind yourself that God is with you:
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for hearing me when I pray. I thank you that you are never too busy to listen to me. When I get scared, please help me to remember you are with me and that you love me. Please comfort me like you comforted Paul and Silas when they were in prison. Amen.Related Resources
Philip Vander Windt
Philip VanderWindt is the pastor at Champlain Valley Christian Reformed Church. In his free time he enjoys building “tall-tall towers” with his kids, analyzing worldviews of films and music with his wife, photographing the beauty of God’s creation, dabbling in leathercraft and woodwork, and writing.