"Brief Devotions For Busy Lives" By the late Rev. Dr. Mary B. Johnson: Philippians 1:12-14

 November 16

"And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear." -Philippians 1:12-14 (NLT)

​Have you ever been in prison? It can be a dangerous, depressing, scary experience! Being imprisoned and chained would cause many of us to despair or give up. Yet Paul saw it as another chance to spread the Good News of Jesus as Christ. He realized current circumstances weren't as important as how he chose to view and use them. By reaching out to Roman soldiers guarding him and encouraging other Christians fearing persecution, he changed a bad situation to a good one. Yet we may well wonder how Paul ever ended up in chains in a Roman prison? Acts tells us when he had visited Jerusalem, Temple leaders had him arrested for preaching Christ. As a Roman citizen, he appealed to Caesar to hear his case and was then taken by soldiers to Rome. He was placed under house arrest there while awaiting trial. Paul's trial wasn't for criminality, but for claiming Jesus was the Messiah. He was allowed some rights. He could have visitors, speak freely, and write letters such as this one to Philippi. He was under guard by the elite troops housed in the emperor's palace. When first imprisoned, Roman officials didn't consider Paul's' charges serious. A few years later under Nero, Rome took a very different view of Christianity and tried to eliminate both the faith and followers.

Although eventually martyred, Paul remained faithful. We may not be in a physical prison, but we all experience other kinds of prisons. We may feel chained by discouragement, depression, financial burdens, conflicts, unemployment, stress, persecution, etc. How we react reflects our beliefs. Paul was convinced, "All things work together for those who love God and are called according to his purpose."(Rom. 8:28) No matter your difficulties today, remember God can use your problems ultimately for great good!

Prayer: Lord, Transform my prisons to opportunities. Amen.

​Meditation For The Day: Chains can never restrain God's truth!

​Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Fall Renewal (Volume 3) Paperback – August 23, 2017 by Rev. Dr. Mary B. Johnson (Author)