"After two years went by in this way, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish people, he left Paul in prison."
Acts 24:27
Acts 24:27
732 days
17,520 hours
1, 501, 200 minutes
63,072,000 seconds
2 years. I had to reread this verse and process what it meant to Paul's life. He had been sitting in prison, falsely accused for two years. Two years of his life was lost. He had some freedoms. He was allowed visits from friends as well as to have his basic needs met. These freedoms did not change the fact that he was unjustly held captive.
Being a prisoner of anything for two years would be enough to kill your faith, destroy your testimony, and rob you of your sanity. I know this to be true. I had a front row seat in a prison cell I felt was unjust and undeserved.
My husband and I were held prisoner for 18 months in a prison of an undiagnosed illness. The uncertainty of our future and difficulty of life almost did us in spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We faced struggles we had never faced before. But God...
My husband and I were held prisoner for 18 months in a prison of an undiagnosed illness. The uncertainty of our future and difficulty of life almost did us in spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We faced struggles we had never faced before. But God...
God met us in our darkest time of need. He carried us through those difficult days. Like Paul, while in our prison we had friends who visited us. They sent cards, called, and prayed for us. Scott had one special friend who came to his office to lay hands on him and anoint him with oil. Friends cared for our needs when we were unable to care for ourselves.
Whether unjustly imprisoned or in a prison of our own making, i.e. unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, unconfessed sin, we can rest assured that God will take care of us. Even in prison He has a plan for our lives and the plan is good. We just have to be like Paul and hold fast to our faith until we are released.
Having been there, it is easier said than done but on the other side of the prison door, you will be able to see the hand of God. You will see clearly how He worked all things together for good because you loved Him and held fast to your faith until your day of release.
Whether unjustly imprisoned or in a prison of our own making, i.e. unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, unconfessed sin, we can rest assured that God will take care of us. Even in prison He has a plan for our lives and the plan is good. We just have to be like Paul and hold fast to our faith until we are released.
Having been there, it is easier said than done but on the other side of the prison door, you will be able to see the hand of God. You will see clearly how He worked all things together for good because you loved Him and held fast to your faith until your day of release.
11 Comments:
Thank you for sharing your testimony Wendy,
What a wonderful gift friends are that lift you up, share your burdens, pray intercessory prayer for you, and allow you to be in need! Actual prisons (physical structures with bars and guards) are horrible, but mental, physical (involving our bodies), emotional or spiritual prisons are insidious. Because they are not necessarily outwardly apparent, people's attitudes towards you changes. They can't relate, they move on with their lives, they tire of the issue.
That is why we need to put our faith in the one who can understand and really does share our burdens; who fills all of our empty spaces and gives us hope.
Psalm 91: 1-4
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Peace be with you,
Karen, Basel
Wendy what a great testimony. I know what it is like to be in a prison within myself held captive to the past. This past week I studied peace in my Beth study and she talks about the differences between peacemakers and peacekeepers and how when you are a peacekeeper so many times you are in inner turmoil because you are trying to keep false peace, peace that is not really there. I know for me, it was when God walked me through releasing me from my prison that my relationship with Him deepened. He is true to His Word, He will see you through and Wendy, as you said, there is a purpose on the other side of freedom.
Have a blessed day sisters. I am spending the day with Will and our friends seeing Santa and going to breakfast. He is out of school for the day :)
Love,
Brandee, TN
I went back and read my post and realized I really did not connect my thoughts together :) I mentioned the peacekeeper thing because that was an inner prison I was in. Inside I was being destroyed from trying to keep a peace that was not really there. It was false peace, based on lies and fear. My release from prison was when I walked out of that and became a peacemaker. Confronting issues and healing not knowing what the results might be, but knowing God was in control. Knowing He was with me every step of the way to face fear and make true peace in my relationships.
I did not get much sleep last night :) Hopefully now my random thoughts make more sense, lol.
Wendy, Thank you for sharing today. Each day the Lord speaks volumes to us through His Word. As we read His Word, it sinks in our innermost being and becomes alive and active. We were talking yesterday in my Bible Study class how blessed we are here in American that we can own our own Bible. We just take this for granted. The teacher told us about a man she new that became blind. He had much of the Bible memorized; he was elderly, in his 90's I think. She would go in to visit him and he would be rocking in his chair, praying aloud, incorporating scriptures and saying scriptures aloud! And, then he would "contemplate!" Ahhh, I had to share what you taught us yesterday dear Wendy. I could not get yesterday's post off of my mind. I do believe that there is MUCH we are losing out on because we have so much 'noise,' around us. Distractions. The more we train ourselves to focus on Him, the more we will hear Him speak to us in church, when we are listening to music, when we are in Bible Study, or basically wherever we are and whatever we are doing. God has given me glimpses of the power of "listening and contemplating." I want to pray slower, and listen more. We don't know when we may not have the privilege of owning a Bible, or even losing our eye sight. When we are experiencing time in "prison," His Words will be our strength. This encourages me so much to keep on memorizing His Word.
Wow...Paul~he did not tremble when some of the religious leaders wanted him dead. Never, did he fail to be a witness for Christ. He was steadfast in his purpose: To tell the good news that Christ died for sinners. That is our mission to dear ladies. To seek His will for us daily, to anticipate sharing Him to those who have an open ear. To live zealously seeking to further His kingdom. Somehow, society has lost this focus. Many, many Christians are losing out in the beauty of His free gift to us. The opportunity to walk along with Him, to abide in Him, to live victoriously. I was one of those people. I was a Christian, but not walking with Him. I'm humbled, that He would chose me, to be His treasure, and to draw me so close to Him. Once you've experienced that spirit-filled life, you just want everyone around you to 'get it!'
We each have come together on this blog because He drew us to it. He has a mission for each one of us to further His Kingdom. We are God's people and He has set us apart for Him (Acts 26:18). This is nothing to take lightly.
Hugs & prayer's coming your way,
Lori - AZ
PS Lifting you up today dear Diane. May you feel His strength and peace; you are tucked under his wings. May His Will be done today in your situation.
Thank you, Karen for those verses!
Praying for you Nancy. I left you a note on yesterday's post.
Wendy, how your testimony resonates within my heart. I am all too familiar with "prison" as well. Anyone who has known me for a period of time has read of the captivity that has bound me and the chains that restrained. Sometimes we have been "behind bars" for so long, even when freedom is granted we have forgotten how to live. Although free, we live as one still shackled. Christ says, "It is for freedom I have set you free."
My attention was drawn to this verse today, “As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. ‘Go away for now,’ he replied. ‘When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.’” Acts 24:25
Wanting a time that was more convenient, I kept putting it off and putting it off. Finally I had convenienced myself out of a wonderful opportunity, while waiting for the perfect moment. I lost out, and it was too late. The opportunity was gone.
Convenience. A time more suited to our comfort, purpose or need.
Do you know there is no record of Felix ever finding a future “convenient” time to receive God?
Author Denis Waitley says, “there is not such thing as a future decision. You face only present decisions that will affect what will happen in the future.”
Author Ann Mainse writes, “…putting off the most important decision of your life is indeed dangerous procrastination.”
Satan’s most effective tool is having people believe they have plenty of time. We need to choose life today. 2 Corinthians 6:2 encourages, “Today is the day of salvation.”
I’ve heard it said that the tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.
Waiting on convenience we miss the joy of obedience and the acceptance of repentance. Maybe it’s not convenient, but what if Christ had felt the same way as He faced the cross? My salvation came because Jesus inconvenienced Himself for me.
It's a fateful choice to choose convenience,
Joy
Many themes jumped out at me during the reading this morning but the main one was hope...of course, just having completed my Advent reading for the morning might just have something to do with that, I do daresay! :)
Paul says "now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God's promise made to our ancestors. In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God and they share in the same hope I have." Acts 25:6
Hope. We always have it. When we believe in it and act on it we release God's power into our lives. It is there in every testimony from anyone ever released from bondage...least of all each of us, for whom Christ died and left an inheritance of his peace and hope for his return.
You all have provided such wonderful thoughts to lead our way into the weekend. If I haven't said it each and every time I write, I am so thankful to be a part of this journey with each of you. My socks are ever knocked off by your faith and insights.
Blessings & prayers,
Liz
AK
Thank you for all of your posts. Your words continue to lift me, to challenge me, and to inspire me.
Thanks be to God for my bloggy sisters!
Dear Friend's, I just have to tell you a big God Moment I just had. Remember I told you about the gal that God whispered to me to give the Chronological Bible to? How I told the LORD, "oh, I never see her," and then how our sons both made the basketball team and we ran into each other! Well, I knew I had to give her the Bible. At the first game she sat behind me! Afterwards I told her I had a gift for her - I knew if I said it, I'd follow through and not chicken out...well, yesterday, I wrapped the Bible and tucked the card & invitation inside and put it in the trunk. Well, guess what? I did not see her at the game as it was very crowded, and afterwards she came up to me! She said, [are you guys sitting down!] Hi, Lori, hey, I'd love to go to church with you this Sunday! My heart just about skipped a beat. God has been working in her already! I told her to come with me, that I had her gift in my car. So, she took the gift and we had a great chat. Then, she just phoned me, telling me how much the Bible meant to her, and how a couple of weeks ago, she was actually at Barns Noble looking at Bibles (!) but did not get one! I'm picking her up for church Sunday and she's excited to read it next year! Oh, sister's this just gets me so excited! All we have to do is listen and obey. What if I did not buy that Bible for her and have the discussion? Oh, I would have missed my opportunity to further His Kingdom. God is GOOD. My heart is feeling so warm and blessed at the moment! Pray for her to get plugged into the Word. Her name is Donna. She's a cute as a button. She's saved, but she has not read through the Bible and does not attend church now regularly.
Oh, Wendy...I'm just tickled pink you're doing this again next year!!! Lori - AZ
We view the time we spend in our 'prison' as unproductive--as if we are taking a sabbatical from our ministry or relationship with God. Instead--God has us exactly where we need to be. He values our relationship with Him more highly than the things we can do for Him. I am so glad that He is about relationships and not religion! Have an awesome day, ladies!
"It is useless for you to fight against My will." Acts:26:14
This verse stuck out at me today, it is when Paul is on the Road to D. and is confronted with God's light. Sometimes I get so caught up in the way I want to do things and forget that God is going to have His way and will regardless of what I try to do to make things work out the way I would wish. This verse is a huge reminder of Who is really in control, and for that I'm grateful. I'm always praying for Him to protect me from myself and my need to keep things under my thumb... so He doesn't have to wrench them out! It's a daily trust and giving of my life choices to Him, to guide and protect. I think my key word is DAILY:)
I am so encouraged and strengthened by all of your insights and posts.
Have a blessed weekend,
Krista
Lori
This is wonderful news. Thanks for popping back by to tell us!
Post a Comment
Home