Ouchita River

A friend of mine, Dan A., is part of a local prison ministry that visits several different facilities in the state of Arkansas. And one of these places is the Ouchita River Correctional Facility, a place I know nothing about other than the fact that Dan and his group minister there...

However, the next time Dan meets with the inmates in their chapel, he is going to read to them a short message of encouragement, which Dan asked me to prepare. I asked him therefore to first have everyone read Hebrews 12:1-2 as the gist of my message is for those brothers in the faith to always keep their spiritual eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, and not upon their individual circumstances.

I also wrote that I have been incarcerated for thirty-six years now. How I cannot even imagine where I'd be today if not for the Lord's mercy. Frankly, I'd probably be dead! That, when I was being placed under arrest, the police had surrounded me with their guns all pointed at my head. How, I believe, it was only the Lord himself who miraculously kept those officers from opening fire and killing me.

And as part of the message, I said that Satan's plan for me was to have me die young. He wanted my soul to go to hell, forever. But, thankfully, the Lord overruled. I believe Jesus told the Devil, "Get your hands off David. He's Mine!" And all I could say to this is, "Thank you Lord Jesus!"

D. B.