Paul was in prison. This was no new experience for this faithful
servant of God. He had been frequently imprisoned throughout his ministry, for
preaching the gospel. Here again we find him incarcerated like a common
criminal, and bound in chains. In previous instances, Paul had seen miraculous
deliverance from prison, but God does not always choose to be glorified in the
miraculous! This time we find Paul remains in prison, and remains bound! His
testimony is that his captivity had no reflection on his faithfulness - the
word of God IS NOT bound! Praise God, for men who will not allow their
situations, however desperate and discomforting, to limit or incapacitate the
ministry of God’s word! It is held in Roman tradition that on this occasion,
Paul was placed in a dungeon below ground, which could be accessed only by a
small hole above. It had neither natural light nor a staircase by which to exit.
Although it cannot be verified, it is said that during this time Paul witnessed
to, and baptised two of his prison keepers, as well as a number of other
prisoners! This much we do know, that it was from prison that Paul wrote several
of the Epistles which ministered to the hearts and needs of the growing
churches, he had planted. The letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
Philemon and this epistle to Timothy, were all written while Paul was in a
prison, treated as a wrong-doer, for preaching the gospel of Christ! We also
know that while imprisoned in Rome, his testimony reached even into Caesar’s
palace! Far from defeated, Paul continued to faithfully work in spite of his adverse
and discomforting circumstances! Sometimes we complain of the ‘difficulties’ we
face, in coping with ‘everyday living’ and trying to serve God, and think that
if only we could have this or that ‘ideal’ circumstance, condition or
provision, we might then really be able to do a work for the Lord! The evidence
of scripture and the lives of other Christians, who have worked for God, and
remained faithful in the worst possible circumstances, often under persecution
and threat of death, shout at us, that we are really kidding ourselves when we
think that way! Paul may have been in chains, but the word of God was not! He
made every effort in spite of his situation to spread and share the gospel of
salvation. If we genuinely desire to serve God, then we will in whatever
situation we find ourselves in! The challenge is there for each of us, not to
complain and ‘wish’ for better, but to make the best of every situation of life,
and use what we have and what we can, for the glory of God and the furtherance
of His kingdom.
http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion
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