The Purpose Of This Prison

We muse today from Philippians 1:12-13 and the purpose of Paul’s  prison. When ever God shuts us up in unwelcome circumstances there is a purpose. In our text we find a foundational purpose. In verse 12 we find Paul shut up to God’s plan. He speaks of the things that happened have fallen out to a furtherance. The word happened means to cause to come together, fallen out means the act of coming upon, and furtherance means advancement or progress. God never shuts us up except He has an ordained  plan.  I see in verse 13 he is shut up to God’s place. He is in bonds which or shackles that impede forward progress and he is in the palace, the place of Caesar’s royal guard. In verse 13 I find he is shut up to God’s picking. Paul speaks of the manifesting of the gospel in this place. In 4:22 of Philippians many of Caesar’s guards have been won by Paul in this place. Oh let us cooperate with Him when He shuts us up, He might let us be a part of redeeming His chosen people.