Genesis 39:20b-23
“But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favour in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”
Zechariah 9:12
“Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.”
Acts 28:17a, 20b
“When [the leaders of the Jews] had assembled, Paul said to them, ‘My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people…It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.’”
Eternal God, the expanse of the heavens speak of your delight in freedom.
Though you cannot be contained, you bend low to free our hearts when we are imprisoned by circumstances. You unlock hope when we have been sentenced to despair.
Fix our eyes upon Christ instead of our chains. Let us rejoice in the knowledge that we are bound to you in love more tightly than any earthly fetter, and may others be released by the power of our joy.
This we ask in the name of Jesus, who served our sentence for us, that we might walk in life and liberty.
Listen to ‘O Christ What Burdens Bowed Thy Head’ by Amanda Greene
