Golden Nuggets: Food for the Mind, Body & Soul

CHAPTER 4

PRISONER OF THE KINGDOM

This diary is a true confession of a Prisoner of the Kingdom. As you read, the prisoner struggles with his place. How would you minister to God’s prisoner? What scriptures would you use to comfort him? Would you criticize him for his thoughts and feelings or would you empower him to move from his place of despair to a place of gratitude for being counted worthy to suffer for the Lord’s sake?

Let’s begin by considering some of the benefits of being in his place. It is important that we understand that prisoners of the kingdom are established and ordained by God before the foundation of the world. God calls us while we are in our mother's womb as God has a specific purpose for our lives and it shall be performed on earth as it is heaven, if we yield our lives to God. While it may appear lonely being a prisoner, we are never alone. In Hebrews 13:5, God promised never to leave us or forsake us. God is always with us! God’s presence is not based upon our senses, whether or not we can see, feel or hear Him, but His presence is based upon God’s Word!

Though at times, prison life may seem difficult to bear, the Bible admonishes in 1 Corinthians 10:13,"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Though at times prison life may appear very costly, it is a privilege to be a prisoner of Christ. There are sacrifices, but, the reward is far greater than any sacrifice we will ever make in this life time. We are reminded in 1 Peter 5:10 that “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, the one who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, empower, strengthen and establish you.” Thank God, He has chosen and ordained us to be a prisoner in His great kingdom for such a time as this! Thank God, He feels our pain and empathizes with us! Thank God, He is patient and longsuffering and willing to work with us to get us to a place of understanding that we may experience peace, joy and thanksgiving as we live out our destiny and purpose as prisoners of the kingdom.

Other Forms of Prisons

There are individuals who are held captive in other areas as well. Their prisons include prisons of injustice, poverty, sickness, depression, abuse, hatred, unforgiveness, bitterness and unbelief, just to name a few. These individuals are children of God who, for whatever reason, are held in bondage and desperately want to be set free. Regardless of their circumstances, or how they became a prisoner of their circumstances, God loves them unconditionally! The word of the Lord reminds us that the Lord Jesus was a prisoner as well.

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Isaiah 53:7-8 KJV

Regardless of our situation of imprisonment, know that the God of glory is more than able to help us, deliver us, heal us, strengthen us and cause our prison experience to work for our good! There is nothing too hard for God! We must put our trust in God and let God do a mighty work in our lives! God will either deliver us from prison as He delivered Joseph in the Old Testament from his prison of injustice and used him in a mighty way or God will use us in our prison of injustice as He used Paul to write most of the books of the New Testament Bible in prison. Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit books that continue to enrich the lives of people throughout the world. Either way, when we walk with God, we cannot lose! We are more than a winner in Christ Jesus! It’s a done deal in the heavens and in the earth! God said it and that settles it!