I was saddened the other night, as I watched a news report, of a man whose prison sentence had been commuted. Not so much because he was out early, but when he spoke to the reporters it seemed as if he had not changed at all. He still came across arrogant, and defiant, as if he did nothing wrong. He felt he was unjustly charged, but was found guilty and put behind bars. Prison didn’t change him.
From the Bible, when Joseph the Dreamer, came out of prison he was a changed man. I believe a wiser version of himself, but one who, though had been humbled, still believed the dream God had given him many years earlier. Prison changed him.
When the Apostle Paul was in prison, in Acts chapter 16, he didn’t let prison change him either. At the midnight hour, he and Silas began singing, yes worshipping while their beaten bodies hung on a cold, damp dungeon wall, when so many others would have complained. “God, look at what I got for obeying you. Do you see the pain I am in?” Dan Betzer tells this story better than anyone I have ever heard. Dan believes when the voices of those two men rose to heaven and God heard their praises He turned to his Son, and said, “What this song needs is a lot of percussion.”
It was then, in their darkest hour, an earthquake took place, and the men found themselves freed from the chains that held them tight, and the door to their cell flung open. The guard knew if the prisoners escaped it would mean the end to his life, so he drew his own sword to take it, but Paul stopped him, by saying, “We are all still here.” The guard was so moved he invited Paul and Silas to his house for dinner where his whole family accepted Jesus. Paul was not changed by prison, but Paul changed prison!
What prison are you in at the current time? Is there something holding you back? A person or situation that is keeping you from being the person God sees you being? You don’t have to let your circumstances change you, but with God’s power, you can change your circumstances. You can be freed from your situation. Your sentence can be commuted. Ask God for what you need to move out of prison, and to move on with your life, your dream. He loves you, sees you, and cares for you so much. Live life free.
Copyright © 2020 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.
brady, mark a. 
Love this!
Thanks Cathy. I appreciate your many years of love, encouragement and support. Prayers and blessings.
I agree, Mark. Other than a new hair color, he struck me as the same man he was when he went in.
Wow! I can’t believe someone knows who inspired the post. I hope I wasn’t unfair, but it was my honest observation.
In America Christians don’t seem to experience literal prison, but we do face limitations, and the same question applies – Will we let our limitations define us or change us, or will we continue in the power of God? I believe even our “prisons” have a purpose, as Paul’s situation opened the door for the jailer’s whole family to be saved. I pray every day that the Lord will get me past the enemy’s roadblocks, barriers, obstacles, and smokescreens, and that He would replace them with – or transform them into – HIS boundaries, HIS guardrails, HIS speed bumps, and HIS directions.
Good points “seekingdivineperspective”. I agree with you 100%. Thanks for your faithfulness in reading this blog. I appreciate you and pray for God’s blessing and protection in your life.