Monday, June 08, 2015

In our last visit I recounted an experience I had when a decision was clarified in my mind and heart in the middle of the night. I compared it to a decision Paul made at Troas in response to a vision he received at night (Acts 16). This triggered further reflection about how God often did some great things during the night. Let’s consider a few of these from the book of Acts by doing a topical study of God working in lives during the night. First we need to collect information on this theme. In Acts 5 you have the apostles thrown in prison and delivered at night by an angel who told them to go back to the temple and share the good news. In Acts 9, Saul, later known as Paul, is converted and begins to preach in Damascus. He was going to be lynched, but escaped at night by being let down from the wall in a basket. In Acts 12 Peter was in prison waiting to be executed the next day. During the night he was set free by an angel in answer to prayer. Just think of the negative impact on the church and her witness if God had not worked these miracles in the night. We know that because of what He did in these circumstances Christians were greatly encouraged. As I reflect on these experiences in Acts I’m encouraged to trust God, especially when I’m in difficult situations and nighttime often exacerbates them in my mind. Nighttime can be scary and emotionally draining, especially if we feel God has abandoned us. He, however, is not just a God of the daytime. He is also God of the night. Trust Him in the darkness, and whatever He teaches you, live it out in the daytime.