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Praise
the LORD! Praise the LORD, I tell myself. I will praise the LORD as long as I
live. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath. Don't put your
confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When their
breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in a moment all their plans come
to an end. But happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose
hope is in the LORD their God. He is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea,
and everything in them. He is the one who keeps every promise forever, who gives
justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The
LORD frees the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts
the burdens of those bent beneath their loads. The LORD loves the righteous.
(Psalm
146:1-8 NLV). In the late 1970’s I pastored a
church in Huntsville, Texas. There were many experiences in those early days of
ministry that have stuck with me through the years. One of them was my first
visit to one of the state prison units. The warden was a member of the church
and invited me to come and speak at the chapel services. He had given me
directions to get to the gate and instructions in how to gain access. All went
perfectly and he was waiting for me just inside the gate of the main building.
As I entered, he greeted me and began the introductions to various guards that
were there. As I shook hands with the first one, the gate was shut behind me and
heard the loud “clang” of the locks being secured. My reaction must have
been very obvious as the warden said, “Don’t worry preacher, I have the
keys!” Being charged and locked up behind bars is a humiliating experience. Handcuffs, block walls, locked doors, thorough strip and body search, confiscation of personal valuables, narrow hallways, bars, a prison cell, stainless steal toilets, concrete bunks, rattling keys, the click of the lock and then a camera that monitors your every movement in a 6' x 10' cell. There is no privacy. In case of trouble, a guard merely calls for help by touching any part of a 3' high yellow strip running along the hallways. Access to a lawyer or relative is possible through an enclosed glass partition. Dignity and self-worth slowly ebb away. It is replaced with tears, anger, bitterness and a loss of self-respect. How futile is your predicament, how bleak is your situation. Your spirit is strangled; your hope is all but extinguished. Gone are those days when you could run after rainbow dreams in childish innocence: mother's arms, a first date, the new set of wheels, a football game or that great buddy. Most of us will never experience those things. However, there is another prison experience that many find themselves a part of in their lives. Perhaps you are imprisoned in relationships, chained to addiction, social castes, or pornography. There is a way out. You can know the “warden.” He has the keys to your freedom. Because of our human conditions, Jesus Christ bought our freedom by dying on the cross. Through faith in Him we God can give us that freedom. He is able to give you a new spirit, and a new inner joy. He is better than any lawyer is as He fills your life with hope and peace. God sets prisoners free by giving sight to the blind, food to the hungry, and lifting us up, as we are discouraged. Let Him free you today! |
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