In Prison and... Joyful!
/Scripture tells us about many of God’s people who were imprisoned simply because of their outspoken faith. I’ll mention four here:
In the Old Testament, we read about DANIEL, a man, literally THROWN into prison, a den of lions, which could have/should have led to his death.
Old Testament - JOSEPH was put into prison because of the evil contrivances of people he should have been able to trust.
In the New Testament, we read that the Apostle PAUL was imprisoned MANY times because of his outspoken testimony of the crucified, buried and risen Savior.
New Testament - Last on this list (certainly not the least) was JOHN. He was placed on a lonely island, Patmos.
Each of these men went through the HORRORS of imprisonment. Not to diminish the pain they experienced, but, each man’s story ultimately had a JOYFUL ending.
Daniel: God’s sovereign intervention in his imprisonment blessed the lives of so many, including the King who’d had him imprisoned.
Joseph: He was released from prison to become second in charge of Egypt and the savior from famine of millions of people, including his own people, the Israelites.
Paul: His imprisonment written of in Philippians 1, led to the salvation of his guards.
John: From that lonely island, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the book of Revelation.
Your prison and mine, most likely, don’t include a physical jail cell. Our imprisonment might be emotional pain due to the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, a dreaded disease or a longed for desire or dream that has been dashed. The loneliness that can ensue from these and other hurtful circumstances can be a prison in itself.
We would be wise to ask the questions, “How could these men stay strong in their faith during such incredibly hurtful times?” “Is there a common thread woven through their reaction to the circumstances?” If we find answers to these questions, perhaps those answers can encourage us in OUR challenging times.
Two responses, while traveling through painful experiences, can lead us to peace and healing, and even a “joyful ending,” as it did for the men mentioned above.
A strong confidence in the love of God. God’s love can overshadow a painful loss. It can comfort and encourage us to know that, no matter what, we are loved by the Creator of this Universe. It can even help us love someone who may have wronged us.
A trust in the sovereignty of God. Believing that God is control of all things is a tremendous foundation upon which to build and grow our faith, even in the worst of times, even when the circumstances make no sense at all.
No matter what the hurt is that God has lovingly and sovereignly directed or permitted to enter our lives, we would do well focus our eyes on WHO, rather than WHY. That gives God freedom to work in our circumstances as He did with the men we’re looking at – and it gives us freedom from the prison in which our troubles can so easily place us.
Paul wrote from one of his imprisonments, “I, Paul, the PRISONER of Jesus Christ…” He and Daniel, Joseph and John chose, in their hearts and actions, to be God’s prisoners rather than being captives of their circumstances.
Be encouraged as you walk out of your prison. God is holding the door open for you.
