Daily Devotion

“On 1 October 1934, while returning from a prayer conference with his wife and other missionaries, China Inland Mission missionary Alfred Bosshardt was captured in Guizhou by Red Army soldiers under General Xiao Ke. His wife was later released, but he and his New Zealand colleague Arnolis Hayman were forced to go with the army on what became the Long March; he trudged some 2,500 miles over eighteen months and was released on Easter morning 1936, after 560 days. His account of the captivity was titled The Restraining Hand, the title indicating the divine restraint on his captors.”

Wikipedia; Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity · Wikipedia, "Rudolf Alfred Bosshardt"; BDCC, "Bosshardt, Rudolf Alfred" (bdcconline.net)

Scripture

2 Corinthians 3:17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Reflection

Our circumstances often impose invisible chains upon us—the burdens of life, illness, or anxiety. Yet, in his imprisonment, Bosshardt demonstrated a spiritual truth that transcends circumstances: true freedom does not depend on external circumstances, but on the reign of the Holy Spirit. Walls cannot block prayer, and shackles cannot rob us of peace. As long as the Spirit of the Lord is in our hearts, the place we are in is a sanctuary filled with grace and freedom.