In Philippi, Paul and Silas suffered accusations, injustice, a bloody throttling, imprisonment, and had their feet put in stocks.

How did they respond? Acts 16:25 tells us: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…” Wow! Tertullian said: “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven.”*

When some people might have felt like giving up hope, they sang hymns to God. Why not? Nothing about their situation had removed the hope that continued to live within them and which was so clearly working through them!

Music amplifies the goodness of God in a world that is trying to hit the mute button. 

Think of static—that fuzzy sound between radio stations. That’s like the static in our minds about a whole host of problems or challenges. It threatens to drown out our remembrance of who our God is and what he is doing. Hymns and praise songs can bring clarity back to our perspective. They turn up the volume on what is actually true, beating back the lies of our minds on our darker days, or the deceptions of a culture who would rather we zip our lips about the living God and his word.

Although Acts 16 doesn’t tell us what Paul and Silas were singing, Paul himself explains the benefits in Colossians 3:16. It helps the message of Christ dwell richly within you; it is a source of wisdom; and it cultivates gratitude. Sounds good to me!

Friends, what’s to be done? Sing!

Music amplifies the goodness of God in a world that is trying to hit the mute button. 

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Notes:

–If you have a favourite hymn or praise song which inspires you, or which gives you help and hope, comment on this post (by July 29, 2021) or send me a note telling me what it is. I’ll publish a complete list of what I receive.

–Today’s devotional is connected to my latest sermon based on Acts 16:16-34 about Paul and Silas singing in prison. It is called “Singing in the storm.” Click here to watch or listen.

–*Tertullian, To the Martyrs, 2.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.