A Reflection On Suffering

When I need compassion for those imprisoned by their circumstances

At any given time, many of God’s saints are in prison. The prison may be literal, or it may be any constraining situation such as financial debt, a broken relationship, or a physical ailment. We should never look at our imprisoned brothers and sisters and assume that God has not favored them. God’s prisons are full of His loved ones. In fact, most of those whom He has used in powerful ways—such as Paul, Joseph, or John the disciple—have experienced an imprisonment, captivity, or loneliness ordained directly by Him.

Do your circumstances make you feel as if you are in prison? Don’t despair; it will not last. It is designed either for your current witness or future usefulness. God is refining you and molding you into His image. Do you know someone in prison? Do not condemn. It is never God’s intention for His church to turn on its visibly fallen. Pray for those who suffer and meet their needs however you can.

Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

Hebrews 13:3