Imprisoned

Daily Reading:  Matthew 11 

The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. (Matthew 11.5)

Devotional Thought: John was in prison.  He had been faithful to preach the truth, stood up to wrongdoing in the highest halls of government, and had even baptized Jesus.  He had stood up to wrongdoing in the highest halls of government.  Yet he was in prison.  Had God deserted him?  He needed to know, so he sent a question to Jesus: “Should we expect someone else?”  In other words “Have I made a mistake?” 

Jesus sent a reassuring word back to him: “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”  In other words: Yes, John, I am the one!  The kingdom has come in me!” 

When we don’t see the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers cured, the deaf hear, and the dead raised, I sometimes feel like John: “Lord, I thought you were the one!  What’s wrong?”  Then I remember John.  He was the greatest prophet that had ever lived, yet he had his prison where he didn’t see these things happening.  They were happening, none-the-less.  And, we mustn’t forget the final piece of evidence that Jesus sent back to John: “the good news is preached to the poor.”  The gospel is being preached to the sinner, and people are being saved.  Those who were once bound in poverty of soul are receiving the riches of the kingdom!  Then, faith is restored and I am satisfied that God is still God.  Praise the Lord! 

So, I pray that whenever you find yourself in a “prison” of circumstances, or doubt or hesitancy, that you will remember John and rejoice that the kingdom is being preached.  May your faith be restored! 

Prayer: Lord, I believe.  help my unbelief.  When doubts come flooding into my soul, reveal your works and restore my soul.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 88:6-12

6 You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep.

7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah

8 You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

9 my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you.

10 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah

11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?

12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?