April 22 – Solidarity In Suffering (Hebrews 13:1-3)

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”(Hebrews 13:3)

IN WORD:
At any given time, many of God’s saints are in prison. The prison may be literal, or it may be a product of circumstances. It can be financial debt, a broken relationship, a physical ailment, or any other constraining situation.
A huge problem in the church is when Christians look at their imprisoned brothers and sisters and assume that God has not favored them. Paul probably had experienced such a phenomenon. We read his prison epistles and marvel at his suffering for the cause. But many of his contemporaries may not have marveled. They may have seen his trouble as a sign of God’s disfavor and wondered why someone with so much potential had fallen to such depths.
God’s prisons are full of His loved ones. He uses those experiences mightily, as He did with Paul, Joseph, John the Baptist, John the disciple, and numerous other biblical examples. In fact, most of those whom He has used in powerful ways have experienced an imprisonment, captivity, or loneliness ordained directly by Him.

IN DEED:
Are you in prison? You are probably not literally behind bars, but your circumstances may make you feel as if you are. Don’t despair; it will not last. It is ordained by God and is designed either for your current witness or future usefulness. He is refining you and molding you into His image, the exact likeness of His crucified Son.
Do you know someone in prison? Do not condemn. God is highlighting the current witness of His saints and preparing them for future fruitfulness. It is never His intention for His church to turn on its visibly fallen. Solidarity is His prescription for believers. Pray for those who suffer and meet their needs however you can. Demonstrate your solidarity with a captive saint today.

“Tell me how much you know of the suffering of your fellow men, and I will tell you how much you have loved them.”
-Helmut Thielicke