A Midnight Miracle

I am convinced that the safest place in the world is in the center of God’s will. You will never find a place more secure than being in the center of God’s will for your life. At the same time, I am also convinced that in the center of God’s will; though it is the safest place, it is not always the most pleasant and pain free place.

Many of us have been seduced into believing that as long as our lives are being lived within the will of God, that everything is going to be alright. But I’ve found that not to be so. In fact, what I’ve discovered is that God is far more concerned about making us Holy than He is in making us happy. And I think that we ought to see that in this scene in Acts chapter 16.

When we look at this scripture, we will discover that there is a connection between Paul’s vision in Troas and his visit to Philippi. There is a connection between his vision and his visit. And when you get a chance you should read all of chapter 16.

You see, at Troas, Paul has a vision of a ‘man from Macedonia’ crying, come over into Macedonia and help us.

And the Bible said that they assuredly gathered that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel in Europe. Now no sooner than they arrive in Macedonia, a woman by the name of Lydia is converted. And the Bible says that this young girl begins to follow Paul and Silas everyday as they made their way to the house of prayer. She’s following them and Luke says that she was a fortune-teller. As she follows Paul and Silas daily, she is noted for saying that these are servants of the most-high God. She had the right message; but Paul was concern was that it was coming from the wrong source.

The Bible says that it vexed him in his spirit. And one day he turned to her and said to her, unclean spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ come out of her!” And the Bible says that she was delivered that same hour.

Now her masters, her owners or just let me make it plain those that were profiting from her, when they saw that Paul had brought an end to their meal ticket; the Bible says that they captured Paul and Silas and brought them before the magistrate on trumped-up charges.

And the Word says that they were beaten and thrown in jail. And I believe that it is the Lord’s way of reminding us that we must remember that when you get delivered, not everybody is not going to be happy about it. That is when the Lord delivers you, and when God sets you free, and when the Lord has delivered you from something that has been holding you in bondage, everybody is not going to get excited about your deliverance. The scripture teaches us that they were beaten, bloody, and broken lying in a Philippian jail.

And Luke says, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God.” Have you ever wondered, what is so special about midnight?

Something must really be important about the midnight hour because Wilson Pickett said, “I’m gonna wait until the midnight hour.” Maria Mulduar spent her midnights at the oasis. And we know that Gladys Knight take the midnight train to Georgia.

What makes midnight so special? Somebody said that midnight is a strange hour, because it seems like at midnight is when the party really gets started, at midnight is when the witches begin to brew, at midnight is when the hounds start hollowing, the owls start hooting, dogs are barking. It is said that at midnight is the witching hour, but I’m here to beg the difference. Because what we will see is that God has a great move going on here at midnight.

Although midnight is the darkest part of the night. It is the deepest part of the night. It’s night but yet it’s day and it’s day but yet it’s night, and one second after midnight is a brand new day; in fact it is officially morning.

That tell me that no matter what you are going through that if you can just hold on for minute everything will be alright. Because the bible says, that weeping may endure but I night but joy cometh in the morning.

Paul and Silas find themselves beaten, and bloody, and broken but at midnight, but I notice that they’re not whining and crying. Luke says that while they are in their midnight crisis, instead of crying and complaining about their situation, they began praying and singing praises unto God.

And that’s where we have too in life. When we find our backs up against a wall we’ve got to stop crying, kicking and screaming like a little baby and start praising God for what he is about to do.