Gladly a prisoner...

Ephesians 4:1  "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called..."

I've never been in jail, but occasionally I have found myself imprisoned.  The first time was in 1980 when I encountered cancer  The day following surgery, my doctor walked out the door after announcing in a sterile tone that there was no effective follow-up treatment available and that I had a 25% chance of surviving the next  5 years.  Left alone, I felt the walls closing in, the oxygen being sucked from the room, my hopes of a future suffocating.

How could Paul have not felt similarly?  He had given himself completely to the Ministry; he had sacrificed everything - status, influence, friends, possessions - only to have some of his trusted protégés desert him.  He was falsely accused, nearly beaten to death, dogged by his enemies in town after town,  maligned in the churches, and jailed more than a few times.

Yes, Paul often found himself in desperate situations that threatened to suffocate his faith.  But he refused to give up hope.  He was able to see beyond the immediate circumstance and recognize God's hand in it.  But how did he do it?  First, his relationship with Jesus was vibrant, dynamic, deeply personal.  Second, he had a few true Christian brothers who stood by him, suffered with him, and they encouraged each other.  Ecclesiastes says that "a cord of three strands is not easily broken."  Paul's faith, God's presence, and his friends' encouragement kept his perspective balanced and helped him to see Jesus' hand in every circumstance.

I am still learning to see beyond the confines of the obvious.  I still get trapped occasionally.  Thankfully, God has surrounded me with encouragers... my wife, who knows me better than anyone and loves me in spite of it... my friends, whom He uses to keep my outlook aligned with the reality of the Word... the Holy Spirit in me, Who directs my steps each day.

Lord, I am so grateful that You are in every situation.   You will never abandon me.  Please help me to trust You more.  Keep my spiritual eyesight clear.  Let me see beyond the obvious and the "logical".  When things become difficult and I begin to feel imprisoned, let me rejoice in the knowledge that, like Paul, I am a prisoner of Christ.   Amen.