About times of imprisonment…
Hebrews 13:3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those
who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (NIV)
Many persons are prisoners. Some people are real prisoners behind prison bars, but
other people are prisoners behind the bars of mental, spiritual, or physical
circumstances. Perhaps you are a prisoner because of your life circumstance. Perhaps you
are a prisoner for Christ because you are standing firm against sin, darkness, evil, pain,
or suffering. You may be in a place where you do not want to be, doing something you do
not like to do, in a place from which there is no escape. You may not have any way of
getting out of your imprisoned life, but there is a power waiting to give you freedom.
This power is the power of Christ's love, the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of the
love of God. This power of love can give you freedom in the middle of your imprisonment.
The power of God can give you a freedom even when you are in chains and shackles. No
matter how confined you are, and no matter how bleak things may seem at this moment, the
love of God brings with it a new vision, a new hope, and a life full of promise. When you
are imprisoned, you could try to run away. However, with the love of God in your heart,
you know you will remain where He has put you and you will do His will and not your own.
You may be a prisoner of some kind for the rest of your life, but Christ can come and
visit you and set your soul free for all of eternity. When Christ comes to set you free,
you find His truth burns away the emotional prison bars and gives you a vision of your new
home waiting for you on the other side. When you turn away from a life mired down in sin
and darkness Christ is there to give you freedom in your soul…a freedom that defies
imagination and explanation.
