Put on Truth 

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth. Ephesians 6: -14 

While a belt doesn't seem like “armour”, it was put on because it would hold the other parts of the armour together. The soldier hung his sword on his belt. The belt also held the soldier's tunic together so that it wouldn't get in his way when he moved. 

Paul tells us that truth is like that belt. When we know the truth, we can feel secure when the devil lies to us. The Bible says that Satan "was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him ... for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). When Satan says to us, “You're worthless. After all, you're just a criminal," we can respond with the truth: "God says that He has 'called me by name; I am His ... I am precious to Him'” (Isaiah 43:1-4, paraphrase). 

When the devil whispers, "No one cares about you. You're alone in the world," we can shout the truth: “God so loved me that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, paraphrase). Take that. 

Or when the devil taunts us, "You'll never amount to anything," we can stand our ground, look him in the eye and say, “Jesus said that the truth is, anyone who believes in Him will do the same works He has done, and even greater works" (see John 14:12, paraphrase). 

Stand up to the devil. Beat him back with the truth. 

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Making it personal: What lies has the devil been telling you? What truth can you fire back at him? 

Prayer: Lord, that murderous devil has been telling me lies. Remind me of the truth so that I can stand firm against him. Amen. 

Read John 14:6 to remember the source of all truth. 

Jesus Understands Our Temptations 

Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18 

When we first landed in our cells, some of us felt alone, even helpless. What would it be like? How would we survive? Sometimes, we looked to older prisoners, who had spent more time behind bars, hoping they'd help us adjust. They knew the score and they understood what our lives would be like because they'd lived it. 

We can take great comfort in the realisation that Jesus understands what it's like to be tempted. His Father didn't spare Him that experience. Because Jesus went through the agony of temptation, He can be an understanding friend in our agony too. 

The story of Jesus' temptation in Luke 4 tells us that Jesus had been fasting when Satan came to Him. Christ had had no food for forty days. Knowing that Jesus was very hungry, Satan tempted Him at His point of vulnerability. "If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread.' But Jesus told him, 'No! The Scriptures say, "People need more than bread for their life"" (Luke 4:3-4). 

On the surface the devil's request seems reasonable. After all, Jesus could have changed the stones into bread. But Jesus saw beneath Satan's challenge. He saw that the devil really wanted Him to obey him, to do his bidding. But Jesus refused the temptation to be conned by Satan. Jesus passed the test. 

Remember that Jesus knows the score. He faced temptation, and He promises to help us face it too. We can trust that God knows our situation and is concerned about our welfare. That is the concrete slab under our lives. It's the firm foundation on which all other defences against temptation are built. 

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Making it personal: Where is Satan testing you? Where are you the most vulnerable? What steps will you take to resist? 

Prayer: Jesus, I'm so glad that You know what it's like to be tempted. Help me to pass the test in my own temptations. Amen. 

Read Hebrews 2:16-18 to learn about the God who promises to be our help in temptation. 

Put on Your Armour 

Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:11-12 

If we're sure something's going to happen, we prepare for it. We get ready. If we knew we were going to be clumped during our first ninety days in prison, we'd seek alliances, hit the free weights and be on guard every day. We prepare for the assault. When it comes to temptation, it's not a question of if. It's a question of when. 

God knows we will face temptation. He also knows that the Tempter is strong and has strategies and tricks. God wants us to be prepared, to know what defensive and offensive weapons are available to us to win over temptation. 

God never leaves us alone to fight the devil and the mighty powers of darkness. He has given us what today's verses call "armour". Writing from a prison cell, the apostle Paul gives us a detailed and helpful lesson in how to fight the devil. Using the picture of a soldier and his armour, he tells us how to prepare for battle. We'll look closely at the armour in the next few meditations. 

But knowing about the armour is not enough. We have a choice. We need to put on the armour. It's not enough for us to know it's there. We must make the choice to put it on. In the same way that it would be foolish for a soldier to go into battle without his or her weapons, we cannot expect to win the test of temptation if we do not prepare and arm ourselves. 

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Making it personal: How will you arm yourself for battle with the devil? Prepare to fight. 

Prayer: God, some days my temptations are so strong that I can't seem to resist. Teach me how I can fight against temptation. Amen. 

Read Ephesians 6:10-20 for the apostle Paul's teaching about fighting temptation. 

Put on Peace  

For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so  that you will be fully prepared. Ephesians 6:15  

In our culture, we don't think of shoes as a part of armour. But in many  cultures, people didn't normally wear shoes. So, if a person without  shoes was attacked and had to fight back, needing to run over rocks or  run far, his feet might easily get cut, slowing him down or causing him to  stumble. Shoes gave the soldier protection, support and agility. Shoes were a defensive weapon. If the soldier was to be prepared, he kept his  battle shoes on. 

The apostle Paul says that the peace that comes from the Good  News – the gospel - is like a pair of protective battle shoes. How is peace like a defensive weapon?  

When we are at peace with God - when we have accepted His  grace and forgiveness - we can be at rest. Our hearts are not troubled. That peace is a powerful defence. When Satan tries to tempt us – test us  - we can stand firm. We are not vulnerable. We are not distracted. We  can call on the inner peace and confidence we have because Christ has paid the price for our sin. We're covered. The apostle Paul reminds us,  "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we  have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done  for us” (Romans 5:1).  

But it's not enough for us to have peace with God. We need to be at  peace with each other. When we have peaceful relationships with our cellmates or our family members, Satan has very little room to attack us.  Peace is a defensive weapon. It protects us and helps us not to stumble.  

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Making it personal: What does it mean to be at peace with God? Are  you at peace with God and others?  

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the peace that your sacrificial death brings  to my life. It fills me up and protects me so that the devil has no chance  of getting at my heart. Amen.

Read 2 Peter 3:14, the apostle Peter's wise words about peace.  

Afraid and Ashamed 

Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Romans 5:12b 

Does sin make a difference? Does it really matter? Is it that much of a big deal? 

We who have committed adultery know the relationships with our spouses changed afterward. They may not have known about our unfaithfulness, but we brought the guilt of our actions home. Our sinful activities killed our peace of mind and self-respect. The shame made us irritable and angry. We were bad-tempered towards our families. They had no clue, but in our hearts, we knew. We knew! 

The same thing happened to Adam and Eve after they sinned against God. God looked for Adam and Eve in the Garden but couldn't find them. They were hiding, afraid and ashamed - feeling guilty. They were afraid because they knew they had disobeyed, and they were ashamed because they knew they were naked. They were busted and couldn't face God. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve and God were mates. They knew each other face to face. They had no reason to hide from Him or to be afraid. The Garden was the ultimate safe place. 

The serpent told Adam and Eve that if they ate the fruit from the tree, they would know good and evil. And, he was right. Suddenly Adam and Eve knew things they hadn't known before. For the first time they knew fear. They knew guilt and shame. Suddenly, they needed to cover their nakedness. 

We're all sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. Things haven't changed. We're born into a world that knows fear and guilt and shame. When we sin, we work hard to cover up. We don't dare look God in the face. We know we've chosen to go our own way instead of trusting God to know what's best for us. 

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Making it personal: Do you feel you need to hide? What sin are you covering up? 

Prayer: God, I'm just like Adam and Eve. You come looking for me, but I hide from You. I'm too afraid to look You in the face. Help me. Amen. 

Read Matthew 26:69-75 for the story of how Peter was ashamed after he denied knowing Jesus.

Put on Righteousness 

Stand firm then, with ... the breastplate of righteousness in place. Ephesians 6:14, NIV

If you imagine a suit of armour, picture the breastplate as the piece of thick metal that covers the soldier's chest - his heart, one of the most important parts of the body to protect. Today's verse tells us that if we are to stand firm against the devil, we must protect our hearts with the armour of righteousness. What does that mean? 

We don't use the words righteousness or righteous much these days. We might hear someone say that another person is “a righteous dude”, meaning he is a good person. But in the Bible, if someone is righteous, that person is morally good, pure, holy, free from guilt or sin. Well, that eliminates us. Only Christ is righteous. 

But before we get too discouraged, remember that Jesus gives us His righteousness. The apostle Paul tells us that "Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life" (Romans 5:18). Because of Jesus' death, when God looks at us, He doesn't see our sin. He sees the righteousness of His Son instead. If we confess our sin and accept Christ's death on our behalf, we are protected. 

What does that mean for fighting the devil's attacks? When we feel attacks coming, we can protect our hearts by claiming the righteousness of Jesus. We can raise our hands in the air (literally) and speak the name of Jesus out loud. With the name of Jesus, we can declare victory over anger. With the name of Jesus, we can claim triumph over lust. We can rebuke the devil and cast him out of our house by saying, "Christ is my righteousness. In the name of Jesus, I rebuke you, Satan." Evil flees at the mention of Jesus' name. As the bright light of Jesus' name shines into the darkness, wickedness scatters like cockroaches in a filthy kitchen. 

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Making it personal: Where is your heart unprotected? What steps will you take to protect it? Who will you ask to help you? 

Prayer: Lord, thank You for giving me Your righteousness. I claim it in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Read Romans 4:22-24 and Philippians 3:8-10 to learn more about our righteousness. 

The Beginning of Sin 

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Romans 5:12a 

Are we all sinful when we are born? Yes. 

Did God create sin? No, 

He gave mankind a choice. God isn't a bully. 

He doesn't force us to love Him. God knows that forced affection, like coerced confession, is worthless. 

God created a perfect, sinless world. Adam and Eve were created perfectly to interact with God on a personal level. God gave them the ability and freedom to choose to obey or disobey His commands (see Genesis 2:16-17). God is not the author of sin, but He did allow the possibility of sin. 

Before God created Adam and Eve, He offered His angels the same freedom to choose. Satan, also known as Lucifer, was originally one of God's most powerful angels. But Satan wanted to be God. He rebelled against God and was thrown out of heaven with many other angels [demons] who supported the rebellion (see Isaiah 14:12 and Revelation 12:7-9). 

Adam and Eve chose to listen to Satan instead of God. They ate the fruit of the tree that was forbidden (see Genesis 3:1-7). God did not tempt them; Satan did (see James 1:13-14). God allowed the possibility of evil. God gave Adam and Eve free will and, with that, the right to decide. They chose to be disobedient to His command. Because of their decision, sin polluted God's perfect world. 

As a result of the choices Adam and Eve made, we are sinful from the day we are conceived in our mother's womb (see Psalm 51:5). Watching a two-year-old grab a toy from another kid and yell “mine!" is all the proof we need. Selfishness and greed come quite naturally to us humans. 

We are sinners, and only when we admit that and look for a solution will we find hope. Our hope is in God's grace and forgiveness through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

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Making it personal: Look at the choices you have made over the years. What power have your sins had in your life? What will you do about it? 

Prayer: Father God, reveal my sin to me in the light of Your forgiveness. Amen. 

Read Genesis 2 and 3 to see how sin came into the world. 

Knowing Our Sin 

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8, NIV 

Sin is real. Anyone who truly believes that sin does not exist has not been paying attention! In prison, we look anywhere and see the evidence of sin. We see fighting and anger. We see prisoners being beaten-up. 

But do we know anything about sin? Sin is as common to human beings as sliminess is to a worm. Yet, how many of us understand sin? Why is it important for us to know about sin? 

If we choose to ignore our sin and its seriousness, our sinful hearts see it as normal behaviour. Sinful deeds will no longer seem wrong to us. We disconnect our behaviour from God and live as if our sin does not matter. It's like when we were kids and started stealing. If we didn't get caught, we didn't think it was wrong. But, if we got a whipping, if people found out, we took it much more seriously. 

Without knowing our sin, we can never fully know ourselves and the debt of sin we have racked up. Suppose a vulnerable prisoner indulges in some heroin a drug dealer offers him and is unaware of the debt he is accumulating. If an old lag pays it off for him without his knowledge, the young prisoner has absolutely no thought of the price that was laid out on his behalf. The naïve prisoner understands his situation only when he learns of the enormity of the gift to him. 

When we understand the enormity of the debt that Jesus paid for our sin, we can begin to appreciate God's love for us. Our gratitude breaks down our pride, and we grasp that we have been saved from a terrible fate. This pushes us towards thanksgiving to God. Thanksgiving paves the way to humility. In humility, we can begin to walk with God in a new purpose for our lives. 

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Making it personal: Be honest with yourself, and take an inventory of your sin. List your most persistent sins. 

Prayer: Lord God, grant me insight and courage to face my sins. Amen. 

Read Psalm 51:3-4 about acknowledging sin 

The Blame Game 

The Lord God asked, "Have you eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?" "Yes," Adam admitted, “but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it.” Genesis 3:11-12 

It's convenient to have somebody to blame when trouble comes. The joke that nobody in prison admits they're guilty would be funny if it weren't so sad. We blame others when we are busted after doing something wrong: “My girlfriend tempted me.” “Drugs got me into trouble." "My parents neglected me." "I'm from a poor home.” 

Adam would not take responsibility for his disobedience either. When God asked him if he had eaten the forbidden fruit, Adam pointed the finger away from himself. He admitted that he had eaten the fruit, but he wasn't going to take the fall. Rather than making a choice to avoid sin, Adam surrendered to it and then blamed Eve. Adam also blamed God. He accused God of giving him an imperfect woman, falsely thinking that if God knew that Eve was going to tempt him, He should have prevented it. Then Eve blamed the serpent (see Genesis 3:13). Adam and Eve both played the original blame game. 

Things haven't changed much. We disobey God's commands. And when God busts us, we make excuses. Sometimes we think as Adam did, saying to ourselves, “If God had wanted me to be a different person, He shouldn't have placed me in the the worst part of town where I grew up." 

But in the end, God will not be persuaded by such counterfeit arguments. We have choices, and we are responsible for them. Temptation is part of life in a sinful world, but the outcome is not always sin and disobedience. We think the natural result of being tempted is to give in to it. That's not true. We have the power, through the Holy Spirit, not to be persuaded by temptation. The fact that evil exists is no excuse or reason for choosing it. 

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Making it personal: How will you face your own disobedience? 

Prayer: God, I confess that I often blame others for things that I have done. Help me to take responsibility. Amen. 

Read Romans 14:12 for God's view on personal responsibility. 

The Power of Sin 

I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway... Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Romans 7:18-19, 24 

A foundational principle about sin is its power. Sin is a strong, dominant force working against our good intentions. Sometimes the driving urge for the gambling table, drugs or bashing pulls on us like a powerful riptide sucking us out to sea. We struggle in our minds and wrestle with the urges, but we are pulled under by the sheer force of sin. 

Afterwards, when we are down the block, in shame and despair, we cry out to God, saying what the apostle Paul said in the verses above, feeling helpless and in despair over his sin. 

Paul understood the power of sin. He was a well-educated man, yet his education did not free him from sin. Paul discovered that trying to battle sin with his own strength did not work. 

That lesson speaks to us today. If we attempt to overcome sin through willpower alone, we will fail. If we try not to sin by believing we can do what is right in our own power, we will fail. Only the power of the risen Christ has the power to declare victory over sin (see Ephesians 2:4-5). The English hymn writer Charles Wesley summarised it best in his hymn "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing": 

• He breaks the power of cancelled sin, 

• He sets the prisoner free; 

• His blood can make the foulest clean, 

• His blood availed for me. 

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Making it personal: Where does the power of sin grip your life? What will it take for you to confess it to God, surrender it to His power and be set free? 

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for Your power over sin. Come alongside me as I do battle with sin in my life. Amen. 

Read Romans 7 to learn about the apostle Paul's struggle with sin. 

Beating the Rap of Sin 

The verdict on [Adam's] sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence. If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life- gift ... that the one man Jesus Christ provides? Romans 5:16-17, THE MESSAGE 

God demands payment for sin, but He balances His justice with mercy to ensure that Adam and Eve - and you and I - wouldn't be separated from Him forever. A little story will help explain, keeping in mind that God is fully aware of Jesus' sacrifice. 

When we were arrested, we hired a solicitor. We needed the legal expertise to guide us through the maze of legal rulings and filings. We required a helper - an advocate - who was familiar with the system. 

Jesus is our advocate before God the Father. He represents us in God's courtroom, where God demands justice for sin. Jesus comes before God with our rap sheets listing the sins we've committed. He states that we're guilty of the sins recorded in our files. But that's not the end of our Advocate's speech. 

Jesus reminds the Judge that He Himself has already paid for our sins through His death on the cross. Jesus already bore our death sentence for all our sins - current and future. Jesus reminds the Judge that it isn't fair to punish us for sins that He's already paid for. God accepts Jesus' death on our behalf, and He declares us "not guilty". When He looks at us and our sin, He sees His sinless Son and His sacrifice. 

Because Jesus paid the debt for our sin, God pardons us. He sees us as righteous, blameless, honourable and upright. We can do nothing to earn this pardon. It's grace, a free gift Jesus gives us to pardon us from the death sentence brought on by our sin. 

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Making it personal: Think about Jesus' sacrifice for your sin. Share with a friend the full meaning of this sacrifice. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for taking the rap for my sin. Help me to fully understand what that means for my life. Amen. 

Memorise the promises in Matthew 20:28 and Ephesians 1:7. 

Jesus Is the Way

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." John 14:6 

An English writer Helen Wodehouse said, “We think we must climb to a certain height of goodness before we can reach God. But He does not say, 'At the end of the way you may find me'; He says, 'I am the Way; I am the road under your feet, the road that begins just as low down as you happen to be.' If we are in a hole, the Way begins in the hole. The moment we set our face in the same direction as His, we are walking with God." 

Many of us wake up each morning feeling that God could never love us. People we trusted sometimes sexually abused us as children and then afterwards angrily told us we were worthless. As adults, we may have stayed in abusive relationships, hopelessly searching for love. We misguidedly thought that if we treated our abusers better, we could earn their love. 

Many of us view a relationship with a loving God in the same twisted way. We mistakenly feel we must be good” to earn His love. Nothing is further from the truth! 

God does not care where we have been; it does not matter to Him if we've grassed someone or even murdered someone. He is concerned only about where we are going. He searches for us and meets us where we are. God comes alongside us at the most depressing moment of our lives and whispers that He loves us, forgives us and believes in us (see John 3:16; Jeremiah 29:11). We can trust those words! 

We can experience God's redeeming love. We can own up to the sin in our lives and turn away (repent) from it (see 1 John 1:9). When we confess and change direction, we will be on the right road. His genuine, authentic love will flood our hearts as we walk in His direction. 

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Making it personal: What would your life be like if you asked God to rescue you from darkness and bring you redemption and forgiveness? 

Prayer: Lord, You are the way. I want to walk with You. Do Your work in me. Amen. 

Read Ephesians 1:7-8 to learn what God in His kindness has done for you. 

Come Near to God's Love  

Submit yourselves, then, to God ... Come near to God and he  will come near to you ... Humble yourselves before the Lord,  and he will lift you up. James 4:7-10, NIV  

Many of us in prison hate ourselves and what we have done. That way  of thinking reveals itself in our feelings of unworthiness. Or we conceal  our self-loathing by acting out in rebellious ways. Those actions are just  ways of hiding the shame and guilt. The bottom line is: We doubt God  could love us.  

But the gospel message is just the opposite. No matter how defiant, rebellious, angry or worthless we feel, when we move towards God, we  find that He has already moved towards us. He has already declared His love for us. He is seeking a change of heart.  He requests a new way of thinking.  

When we submit to God, our hearts seek and yearn for His peace. St Augustine said, “You made us for Yourself, and our hearts find no peace  until they rest in You." We find that rest when we draw near to God. That  is a message of hope.  

With God there is always hope. We must never indulge the notion that we have gone too far, that we have sinned too much and that God  could never love us. The Bible tells us otherwise. The beauty of God's  message to us through Jesus Christ is that He loves us, unconditionally  and fully. He loves us, renews us and restores us. That is the amazing  power of Christianity. No other religion offers the hope of transformation,  renewal and restoration that God offers through the blood of His Son.  When we humble ourselves before this loving God, He lifts us up to new  life. We can accept His love and live purposeful and useful lives.  

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Making it personal: What steps will you take to move towards God's love? How will your life change when you accept and embrace His hope  for your life?  move closer to You. Come into my heart, and work Your transforming  

Prayer: Lord, help me get over my sense of unworthiness. I want to changes today. Amen.  

Read Psalm 36:5-9 for a message of love and hope.  

Doing HIS Time  

So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are  wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in  these evil days. Ephesians 5:15-16  

Doing HIS Time. What does that mean? Time  moves slowly in prison. One day seems pretty much like the last one.  We may not think our future looks all that promising if we are looking at  an indeterminate sentence, but every dawn is another chapter of our future. We have choices about how we do our time.  

Are we doing our time, or are we doing HIS time - God's time? Are we wasting our time, or are we investing it? Are we making the most of every opportunity - "redeeming the time” as the King James Version translates the same words? Our answers to these questions give us insight as to how we are preparing for the future.  

We know that what we did when we were kids has had a big impact on  our lives today. But our lives are not over. What we do today will influence  our future - and everyone around us - either for good or for evil. Our  future depends on the choices we make on how we spend our lives today.  

British author Charles Reade wrote these profound words:  

• Sow a thought, and you reap an act;  

• Sow an act, and you reap a habit;  

• Sow a habit, and you reap a character;  

• Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.  

What thoughts are we sowing? What are we doing today to reap a habit?  We can "cash in" the time and make it work for us. We don't have to give  up our future to drugged-out time. No matter how much time we have to  do, let's do HIS time.  

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Making it personal: What action will you take today to redeem the time,  to make a positive impact on people around you?  

Prayer: Lord, I want to make every minute count for you. Show me how.  Amen.  

Read Psalm 31:14-16 to see how our time, our future, is in God's hands;  then say the words back to God as a prayer.  

Gods love

Discuss together:  

1. Many of you have been close to dying because of other circumstances.  What or who saved you from dying? Do you think God is offering you  a second chance? God's unconditional love means you don't have  to clean up before He loves you. Talk about coming to God just as  you are to accept His love. How might this change your life?  

2. Before prison, what actions did you take to gain approval, recognition  and love? Share your view of those things now in light of God's  unconditional love. How does unconditional love give you value,  peace and hope?  

3. Is God's free gift (grace) "too easy" or "too hard"? Discuss how pride  and rebelliousness play a role in deciding. Do you ever hide behind  your crime as an excuse not to accept God's grace? What events in  your life hinder your trusting God's love?  

4. What kind of "time" are you doing? What does it mean to you to do HIS time?  

Explore God's Word together:  

1. Isaiah 38:17 speaks of bitterness (anguish) and the power of forgiveness. What good came out of Isaiah's bitterness? Are you bitter?  What caused your bitterness? The prophet speaks of forgiveness and  rescue. Can you remain bitter after such forgiving love?  

2. 1 Kings 17:8-24 teaches about trust and deliverance. Do you have trust issues in your life? Share some of those. What things hinder you from totally surrendering to God in faith?  

God Has a Plan for You 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 

God has an individual, specific plan for each one of us. From before we were born, God knew who we were going to be and what His plan was for our lives. He made each of us perfectly different for exactly the role He has in mind for us to play. He also gave us the ability to decide for ourselves what is right. Many of us ignored God's plan and made decisions without consulting His manual - the Bible. We went our own way. 

Now we are in Prison! Our version of our plan for our lives ran ourselves into the ditch. We are away from our family and friends. We are missing so much! That's definitely not God's plan for our lives. 

God gives us a set of guidelines to make our lives richer and safer. The Ten Commandments are not God's way to restrict our happiness. They are part of His plan, and they outline the ways we can live safe, abundant lives. 

God's plan for our lives involves not only a full life here and now, but also true freedom for eternity. God loves us so much that He wants us to live with Him forever. And to make that happen for us, God was willing to sacrifice His only Son to pay the debt for our sin. 

God's love is so deep that He offers this gift to us - free. When we believe in Him and accept His gift of salvation, He makes a reservation for us to live with Him forever. 

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Making it personal: What would it feel like to believe that God loves you enough to rescue you? 

Prayer: Father God, take the blindness from my eyes, and let me really see and know Your plans for me. Amen. 

Read Jeremiah 29:11-13 to learn more about God's good plan for you. 

Home away from home

I am visiting you here in prison. I can hardly imagine how it feels to be so isolated from family and friends for days, weeks, months and years. You must long for the place you once called home. Maybe you are even building an imagination of home that is greater than it ever was! 

Moses wrote a song of praise to God. Psalm 90 starts like this: “God, you have been our dwelling place [literally, our home!] from generation to generation.”

This quote might be specially encouraging for you, because Moses wrote this song of praise  when he was Israel’s leader during the forty years they wandered as nomads in the desert. They had no permanent home and were in constant danger! And yet he begins this song of worship by saying, God YOU are our home. 

Even though you are also wandering in the wilderness called prison, you might also gain this deep sense that you have a home in God. No matter what today holds, or what tomorrow will bring. You can find safety, security, peace and love in God. Now that is an invitation for a true homecoming! 

Try inviting Jesus into your life and see what happens. I think you will be surprised by the homecoming you experience!

Never Separated from God's Love 

Does it mean [Christ] no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? ... I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away ... Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 

We read about God's love, but sometimes it's hard to feel it. Bad stuff happens. Families fall apart. We get so overwhelmed by fear and pain, plus the difficulty of our own situation, that we begin to doubt that God's love exists. We ask: Where is God? Has He abandoned us like so many others have in our lives? Does it mean He no longer loves us when tough things happen? 

Remember the night we got busted and the feeling of being locked up for the first time? How often have we felt so ashamed, angry or abandoned that we did more drugs to take the pain away. Do these things make it impossible for God to love us? The apostle Paul asked that same question. We should memorise his response because Paul declares that nothing can separate us from God's love. Nothing. Our crimes can't. Our past can't. Our incarceration can't. Our estranged relationships can't. Our cellmates can't. Being on the block can't. Nothing can separate us from God's love. 

Think about it. Jesus went so far as to suffer and die for us. Why would He abandon us now? Jesus' love is solid. We can count on it. 

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Making it personal: Where do you feel separated from God's love? Picture His love as so powerful that it floods that very place right now. 

Prayer: Lord, Your love for me is so great that it's hard for me to get my head around it. Thank You, for loving me that much. Amen. 

Memorise today's passage, repeating it every morning as a reminder of God's love for you.