Singing in the Rain

October 25, 2020

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.

Acts 16:16-40

Memory Verse

Proverbs 3: 5-6

With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow. (CEV)

written by Ron VandenBurg
illustrated by Chad Thompson

Casey, her sister, and her brother are looking out the window. We see a hard, dark rainy day. They are in their pajamas, and so is Dad as he enters saying, “Hey…what’s going on?”
Casey says, “Uggh! Another rainy day!” Younger sister says, “Goodbye to all our special day plans!” Son says, “Seriously?? Rain again?!.”

Dad sits on the edge of the chair and they face him. Dad says, “We have the whole day open. Think. What can we do together?”

In the background, all three run out of the room happy with a huge list of activities. Casey says, “It’s pajama day…all day! Let’s bake some brownies! Brother says, “ I can beat you all at Monopoly!” Sister says, “ We can do a Zoom call with Grandma! We can…”
In the foreground, Dad smiles and says to himself, “Let’s create some memories.”

Print Comic

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

Liz and Friends

Change of Plans

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Mess Up Fess Up

Bible Story

The Story of Lydia

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Bible Story Coloring Packet 7: Holy Spirit and Early Church

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.