Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Wednesday's Musings - Children of People in Bondage


Psalm 107:10-16 Some sat in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Their hearts were bowed down with hard labor; they fell down, with no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. For he shatters the doors of bronze, and cuts in two the bars of iron.

I heard a saddening statistic on the nightly news last evening. They said that one in 28 children in the U.S. has a parent who is incarcerated.  That’s more than children with parents deployed in the armed forces.  That says a lot about the state of our nation.  I thought of all the criminals who are on the loose and all those who have been let off because of overcrowded prisons. The number could be even higher. The story showed a Muppet on Sesame Street talking as if his parent was in jail in an attempt to help child viewers know they are not alone. I don’t know the answer except to try to raise up people with a sense of honesty and justice and bring them into a relationship with Jesus Christ who can change hearts and lives. It is easier I think to grow a good person than to reform a bad one although God can do anything.  True freedom is found in loving and obeying the Lord, not in satisfying one’s own desires.  Let’s pray this week for all the children who have not had the best example in parents and pray for parents that they would do right by their children.

Holy Lord, we pray today for all who have parents in jail.  Help us to reach more people from Christ and to bring them into lives of right living that they will not commit crimes but will find honest ways of living.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Blessings,
Paige

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