Sing a song of Hope
(Ac. 16:25-32)

Christianity is the religion of hope and eternal dawn. Even though we have despair like darkness, we will have hopeful dawn. Jesus was dead on the cross but the next morning after the Sabbath day, Jesus was alive. Therefore, we should have absolute faith and sing for hope.

1. Paul in prison
Paul saw the vision of Macedonia and he went to Philippi instead of going to Asia. He met Lydia who sold the purple cloth and she believed in Jesus. And he met a female servant who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into prison, beating them seriously. (Acts 16:20-24) They were in prison with wounds all over the body and encountered the dark night. Like Paul and Silas, we will meet despair and depression. However, we should not sit on the box of depression and despair. Rather we should meet God who becomes our problem solver. The prison will be a chance for us to meet God who changes the night of despair into the hope.

2. Hymns sung about midnight
They might complain toward God in the prison where they met the darkest night. However, they were praying and singing hymns to God. (Acts16:25) When we meet difficult moment in our life, we should not complain and should pray and praise God. (Ps. 42:8) Even we are surrounded by any types of despairs, we should look at the Lord who is in the center of the despair with us, singing for hope, which is coming from God.

3. The salvific work of God

The praise with happiness of Paul and Silas brought an earthquake shaking the foundations of the prison. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. (Acts 16:26) Likewise, the prayer and praise will shake the prison of despair and the closed doors of life will be opened and all the chains will be broken. One of jailers watched this miraculous scene and asked what he had to do to be saved. They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household." (Acts 16:30-31) At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. (Acts 16:33-34) The only way to be saved is to believe in Jesus. Therefore, we should do our best to show Christian life to spread Gospel for those who don't believe in Jesus. By accepting Jesus Christ, we are saved from sins and death. As a result, our despair will be changed into hope.