The Fires of Incarceration
Thursday, March 13, 2025
“God’s grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers.” – C.H. Spurgeon
I have said it before, and I will say it again. Some of the most sincere and mature Christians I have ever met were serving time behind bars.
Take for instance Deacon Hayes, an inmate at the Otisville Correctional Facility in upstate New York. Before a chapel service one Sunday morning, we shared a conversation outside that I remember to this day, more than 30 years later…
“Since I’ve been incarcerated, I’ve lost my wife, two sons, and a daughter,” he said with profound sadness in his voice. “But I still have joy!” he exclaimed as he pointed to the sky and to His Savior.
Then there was Andre, a man on death row in the state of Delaware, who sang “Amazing Grace” in the balcony of the chapel at the Sussex Correctional Center with tears streaming down his cheeks just days before he was scheduled to be executed. As I sat in the sanctuary below, my eyes were filled with tears as well.
Another inmate at Tyger River Correctional Institution in Enoree, SC told me point blank that “God in his mercy” had brought him to prison. “If I hadn’t been caught and imprisoned, I would have been dead on the streets from either an overdose, gang violence, or a drug deal gone bad.” It was in prison where God finally got hold of his heart and saved his soul, he told me as we chatted inside his small 6’ by 9’ cell.
I could share countless other stories of men behind prison walls whose faith was shaped and molded by the fires of incarceration, but I think you get the idea. Just like Joseph in prison or Moses on the backside of the desert, it is in times of trouble that we draw near to God and He draws near to us.
My friend, no one looks forward to trials and tribulations, but they are inevitable parts of life. More importantly, they are also necessary elements in our spiritual growth and development.
And so, the next time you find yourself with nowhere to look but up, do what Deacon Hayes did and seek your Savior!
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8a (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
