So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't
be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for Him.
2 Timothy 1:8 NLT
Over the years of my incarceration, I have met men from all walks of life, who are doing time for all kinds of crimes...
be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for Him.
2 Timothy 1:8 NLT
Over the years of my incarceration, I have met men from all walks of life, who are doing time for all kinds of crimes...
And I've had many a discussion as to what brought them to prison in the first place. The reasons are varied, but the responses are the same. Bad decisions. Betrayals. Addictions. A mental health crisis or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, etc.
And I, too, have been asked as to why things happened which ultimately led me to prison. But since placing my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ more than thirty years ago now, I will unashamedly confess that God saw to it that I would end up here. Although I didn't see it at the time, and wouldn't come to understand this until many years later, if not for my being arrested, I'd probably be dead, and in Hell.
Therefore, my apprehension rescued me from the path of self-destruction that I was on. The detectives who arrested me could've shot me dead right on the spot. But God made sure it was not to happen. The Lord, who "knows the end from the beginning," knew the day would come when I would surrender my life to Him. And realizing this from the vantage of the present, how could I not but thank Him for such an act of mercy, which I know I did not deserve.
Today, I see myself as someone deserving a life sentence, which I will never contest. But at the same time, Jesus is using me as a voice for Him, both inside and outside of prison. The story of my redemption has since traveled far beyond prison walls, giving hope to those who think they have messed up too many times to be forgiven. My testimony, I believe, helps to dispel that lie.
On the contrary, the Word of God clearly states that, "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13 - see more). He's a forgiving God.
D.B.
And I, too, have been asked as to why things happened which ultimately led me to prison. But since placing my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ more than thirty years ago now, I will unashamedly confess that God saw to it that I would end up here. Although I didn't see it at the time, and wouldn't come to understand this until many years later, if not for my being arrested, I'd probably be dead, and in Hell.
Therefore, my apprehension rescued me from the path of self-destruction that I was on. The detectives who arrested me could've shot me dead right on the spot. But God made sure it was not to happen. The Lord, who "knows the end from the beginning," knew the day would come when I would surrender my life to Him. And realizing this from the vantage of the present, how could I not but thank Him for such an act of mercy, which I know I did not deserve.
Today, I see myself as someone deserving a life sentence, which I will never contest. But at the same time, Jesus is using me as a voice for Him, both inside and outside of prison. The story of my redemption has since traveled far beyond prison walls, giving hope to those who think they have messed up too many times to be forgiven. My testimony, I believe, helps to dispel that lie.
On the contrary, the Word of God clearly states that, "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13 - see more). He's a forgiving God.
D.B.
