Suffering: Prison, Like Joseph

I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.

Matthew 25:36 (NKJV)

Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

Hebrews 13:3 (ESV)

Many Bible heroes were imprisoned: chained, jailed, and beaten undeservedly! When we ponder what happens in prisons, it’s frightening and uncomfortable, so we quickly think about something else.

But as Christians, let’s remember Joseph, the dreamer and cherished son of Jacob– who was sold as a slave to Egyptians and later became a prison inmate. He bore this injustice for 13 years.

To compound this terrible injustice, it began at the hands of his brothers. (They envied how their father favored him.)

Actors, models, and talent for Christ:

The “we’d-rather-not-know” pain of prison… can be experienced in other ways, where lockdowns lurk in clever disguises.

  1. A “poverty mindset” lockdown in LACK, where hopelessness is the daily diet and the Bread of life is unfamiliar.

  2. A “seducting” lockdown in ADDICTIONS, where mindlessness becomes the feast of choice and the odds of breaking free are so small.

  3. An “enchanting” lockdown in MEDIA, where screen-bound fans live vicarious lives,* glued to the programs of entertainment.

  4. A “hate-on-the-world” lockdown in CHURCHES, where saints hunker down in condemnation– and forget how “God so loved the world…”

  5. A “stuck-on-me” lockdown in narcissism, where selfishness grows invisible chains, and the “inmate” preys on people close to him.

You're commissioned to see, help, and uplift all the world's prisoners, like Jesus did. This era of entertainment provides new methods of reaching those who are bound.

Remember, the Lord’s calling hasn't changed. Nor has His goal of finding His lost sheep of freeing the captives from EVERY chain.

Suffering: Prison, Like Joseph (Part 6)

* One definition of vicarious: 'felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others': http://www.dictionary.com/browse/vicarious?s=t

NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God–  to multiply them in the world for His glory.

P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.

WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!

Carey Arban