Have you ever experienced darkness? I’m not talking in a literal since. I’m meaning the darkness of life, where nothing seems to be going right. When everything feels like it’s just closing in around you and you can’t catch your breath. The kind of darkness that has you feeling overwhelmed, and you wonder if things will ever get better. Stressful times when there seems to be no light at the end of your tunnel and the fear just won’t subside.

I read over some scriptures recently that hit me in a whole different way than before. They showed light in the darkness to me: Acts 16:16-36.

This portion of scripture talks about Paul and Silas and how it came about that they were thrown into prison. Let’s just say they seemed to have some really bad luck come upon them that day. I’m pretty sure that none of us have ever been beaten with whips and then put in shackles but we have had some “bad luck” days in our time. Those days when it seems like smiles are far away and hope is bleak.

The story goes on to tell us of how they sang praises to God at midnight and the earthquake happened and the doors to the prison were opened and all the shackles fell off. The keeper of the prison trembled for fear that all the prisoners had escaped, but Paul called out and calmed his fears — reassuring that all was well and no one had escaped. The keeper was touched and Paul and Silas were able to lead the man to salvation right there in the prison.

It goes on to say that the man helped clean their wounds and then fixed them a meal at his own home. Then, when morning came, the call was given for Paul and Silas to be released and sent on their way. That’s the gist of the story basically that I’ve heard my whole life. I’ve even heard some great messages come from this passage of scripture. What hit me so differently this time was this:

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoner heard them.

Acts 16:25

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

Acts 16:35

“And at midnight“

“And when it was day“

The whole time that all this was going on, it was Dark. They prayed and sang praises in the darkness. They led a man to salvation in the darkness. They had their wounds cleaned in the darkness. They had a baptism in the darkness. They had a full fledge meal in the darkness. THEN when it was day, they were told that they could go free. Before morning came, they had a whole night of events to happen in the darkness.

This let me know this one thing:

In the midst of darkness, God still works!

God don’t need daylight to work.

Don’t allow prison to shake your faith; let faith shake your prison.

Buddy Owens

Don’t allow the darkness to dim your faith; Allow your faith to lighten the darkness.

I’m also reminded of the story of Peter walking on the water — Matthew 14:22-33. The storm did not cease until after Peter and Jesus stepped back into the boat. The storm was still going on while Peter walked on the water and then began to sink but Jesus rescued him. The storm was still going on while Jesus walked with Peter on the water back to the boat. Jesus walked with Peter in the storm!

When we are going through darkness in life, storms in life, God still knows how to navigate and maneuver through it. Just because it’s dark doesn’t mean God can’t see what’s going on. God works in the darkness just as good as He does in the light. God created the light. He also created the darkness. I’m sure since He created it then He knows how to handle it.

Take courage, friend. Good things can still happen in the darkness. God can still be found in the darkness. Your freedom can still come in the darkness. Salvation can still come in the darkness. Healing can still come in the darkness. Provision can still come in the darkness. Just don’t forget to pray, sing praises, and call out to God in your darkness.