The young prince sat in the darkness of the prison,
speaking to an old man beside him.
“What do you mean let it go?”
He said in anger.
“How can I ever let it go?
Look what they have done to us.
The neighbouring kings
My father’s own friends
Did not come to our aid.
Instead, they aligned themselves with the enemy
and brought our kingdom to ruin.
And now you say
Let God deal with it?
Do you know how many years it took
for my father to prepare me to rule.
Years he laboured,
teaching and shaping me to lead.
And just when I was ready
to take my rightful place
as the heir to the throne
Everything was destroyed.
Everything wiped away.
Nothing remained.
And still you tell me
to let it go.”
The old man answered quietly,
“Many times the people
who deceive us the most
are those closest to us.
But God is always faithful.
Look at Joseph.
He was sold by his own brothers,
yet God reversed the evil done to him.
From slavery he rose to power
and became the prime minister of Egypt.”
The young man replied bitterly,
“So what are you saying?
That I to will rule another's kingdom?”
The old man shook his head.
“No.
You must find your way
back to your own kingdom.
And remember this
you are not the only prisoner here.
There are others like you.
When the opportunity comes
we must act.”
And so they waited.
One night, when the guards were few
and the watch was careless,
They broke free.
They climbed the prison walls
and ran for miles and miles
until their strength was nearly gone.
At last they entered a thick forest
where the paths were hidden
and the trees swallowed the light.
There they wandered for months,
lost among the shadows,
searching for a way forward.
But in time
they found the road.
The long road
that led them home.
Yet when they reached their kingdom
their hearts were broken.
The land was desolate.
No trees.
No animals.
No buildings.
No people.
Everything was dead.
They stood there in silence
and then they wept.
“What do we do now?”
Someone asked.
Then the old man spoke.
“Let us go to the neighbouring lands.
Let us tell them about this place
about how rich this land once was,
how the city once prospered.
Let us invite them to come
and build again.”
So they went from land to land
telling the story of the kingdom.
And the people came.
Builders came.
Farmers came.
Families came.
And slowly the city rose again.
Soon it became even greater
than it had been before.
And the young man
was made the ruler over that land.
And the old prisoner
became his adviser.
To this day
he remains faithful
to his calling
and to his purpose.
And he became
a good king.
Beloved,
Your purpose still remains
no matter what happens in life.
God will lead you
to the place for which
He created you.
Even if the road is long.
Even if the journey seems endless.
God will bring you
Home.
