“How can one who is in prison be thankful? You say this because you are free.”
Yes, what you say is natural. During the war I was also in prison in Osaka, Japan, and believe I can understand something of how you feel. To be in prison is surely unpleasant, as I remember it now. They took my glasses away as soon as I was put in, and as it was my first experience in prison, I felt very awkward and bewildered.
At first, in solitary confinement, I could not tell what was happening on the outside. As the days went by, however, I came to understand clearly even though I could not see. I could tell by the footsteps which guard was walking around or when it was almost mealtime, and I even received news.
No doubt you now have bitterness in your heart, and you suffer greatly because of it. Why does a man have bitterness and pain in his heart? It is because of sin. Sin-what a repulsive word! Nobody wants to think of the word “sin.” But we must face it, for that is our problem.
The Bible says all human beings are sinners. They are not sinners because they commit sin, but they commit sin because they are sinners. A rotten tree bears rotten fruit. As both you and I have experienced, we commit sin because sin is in our hearts. How wretched man is! This is the true condition of all human beings. The Lord Jesus said, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:1919For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (Matthew 15:19)). Because these things are in the heart, they do come out.
Everyone looks for happiness, but how can we be happy if the heart is not at peace? We might call the pleasures of this world “happiness,” or say, “If I were in such a position, I would be happy!” Would you not rather have such an inward happiness that you could be happy under any circumstance, though you were without anything?
Then take your true place before God as the publican did in Luke 18:1313And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (Luke 18:13): “God be merciful to me a sinner.” We read in the next verse: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified....He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The first step to obtain happiness is to confess to God, “I am a sinner,” and your sins will be forgiven.
The Lord Jesus came from heaven to call not the self-righteous, but sinners to repentance. He lived in poverty as the friend of sinners and loved those whose hearts were suffering from sin. Can you find love like that in this world?
He died as our substitute, to save us from hell, taking upon His holy and sinless body the sins of any who will trust in Him. Whoever believes in Him, the Savior, has his sins forgiven and is given eternal life and becomes a child of God, one who can call God his Father and have fellowship with Him.
I remember when I was in prison, the most glorious thing while I was there was that I was given time to think and quietly pray to God. Neither the iron door nor the stone wall could hinder me from doing this!
Especially when I was critically ill in prison, I was encouraged by the verses in Rom. 8:35-3735Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:35‑37) that say, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” It was my experience that it is possible to live a thankful life, even in that dreadful place.
Someday when Jesus returns for His own, we shall be changed and have glorified bodies and be taken up to be with Him. Whatever may happen here, heaven is open to us!
My friend, you are now living an uncomfortable life in prison. Even though you are there, if you will believe in God and take Christ as your Savior, you will experience, as I have, a happy and thankful life. God is faithful. Therefore with assurance I can tell you of the reality of this salvation which is in Christ.