Jentezen Franklin Daily Devotional (December 1, 2024) When God Puts You On Hold.
“About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” Acts 15:25-26
Acts 16:25 says that at midnight, Paul and Silas were in jail when suddenly a great earthquake shook the prison's foundations, setting them free. But at 11:59, Paul and Silas had yet to learn what the future would bring. They were praised despite having bleeding backs. Things were looking bleak for them. They had no idea that everything was about to change.
Similarly, in Exodus 11, the Israelites were in bondage. At 11:59, they were poor slaves who were broken and mistreated. But at midnight, they were all set free by the blood of the lamb. For years and years, God had seemed to be inactive, but in a blink, everything changed. Don’t lose hope. You never know when you are a minute away from a miracle.
You may be at a place in your life where you feel like God has put you on hold. You may feel forsaken by God and may not understand everything going on. Satan’s favorite time to double down on his discouragement in your life is right before your miracle comes through. If you are in that “11:59” place in your life, keep praising anyhow. God has a plan for your life, and all the days of your life were written down before one of them came to pass. (Psalm 139:16). You matter, and you will get through this. Better days are coming! God will show up in the midnight hour to open doors and loose chains. The hardship will end and you will walk into a new season of blessing.
