---GOD OF MIRACLES ~~

--"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the prisoners were listening to them."
---[Acts 16:25]

---RAIN blurred the windshield as we drove home. The road was slick; high way traffic, cautious.
Suddenly a car zoomed past us and the two trucks ahead. It swerved into our lane and cut off the first truck. Both vehicles sopped abruptly to avoid collision. My husband, Gene, tried to do the same, but our tires slid Crash!.
Our car was totaled, but we expressed thanks when we prayed later that night. We thanked Jesus for protecting everyone involved, for sending first responders, for quickly sending a tow truck and for stopping the rainstorm as we waited roadside for a taxi.

It's easy to give thanks and praise when the story ends well---but not so much when bad stuff happens. Paul and Silas experienced terrible circumstances . Stripped and beaten with rods and then locked in stocks in the worst cell, they had reason to complain. Instead they sang hymns and prayed.

Luke 6:45 says, "Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (ESV). Clearly Paul and Silas's hearts were filled with hope and joy. The only explanation for their ability to respond as they did was their faith in the risen Christ (Acts 16:31). They'd encountered Him and understood the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10-11). His Spirit lived in them, and the hope and joy He produced spilled over under pressure.

--Apart from Jesus, few can respond like Silas and Paul. When love for Jesus fills our hearts, we, too, will praise Him under pressure.

--"Thank You, Lord Jesus, that you never change. Help us to stay close to You and your Word."


--ODB/GF~
<https://youtu.be/qbh3Yu-IcHc>
~~~~~