Businge Peter Simon passed the long hours in his prison cell dreaming about how he would murder the man who sent him there.
But before he could put his plot into action, God intervened in a dramatic way. Here is what Businge wrote to me:
Brother Ken,
Praise the Lord, God is great, God is able and God is too merciful to me. I, Businge Peter Simon of Fort-Portal, Uganda, thank God for he has a purpose for me. I am not an accident to be in prison today. Behind it God has a reason.
I also thank the prison’s authority for having kept me safely for almost six years, for in only three weeks I go out to be a free man. If all goes well, the Lord is my helper, I will attend university and pursue a divinity course, my wish is to serve God.
Before I sat through your course I had a horrible unrepentant and unforgiving heart. If I would have been released earlier, by now I would be on death row because I had planned to go and teach my accuser a lesson. I was going to set ablaze his house and be on guard with a gun to make sure that not even a rat or a lizard escapes. What unrepentant and unforgiving heart I had.
But I praise God who prolonged my sentence in prison and worked upon me through your course by revealing scriptures that convicted and proved me more guilty than those I was going to kill. God cleansed my heart with his blood which he shed on the cross 2000 years ago. He changed my heart and thoughts. I forgave my accuser and asked God to forgive me too.
I now have peace in my mind because I no longer hold my accuser in my prison. He will be filled with great amazement when he sees me kneeling before him seeking reconciliation with him next month when I go to him.
Until then, I am urging others to trust in Jesus and believe his gospel and discover the secret of peace. When I go out from prison I plan to introduce your course to my church in Fort-Portal so that many Christians can attend. Because when they attend it in big number there will be peace and harmony in the church and our country.
Businge Peter Simon
~ Ken Sande
Reflection Questions
- Why is it that Businge could sincerely write, “I praise God who prolonged my sentence in prison”?
- How does this story echo some of the major themes from the story of Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery?
- How does this story illustrate the promises of Romans 8:28-29: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
- What lesson is there in this story for your life?
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© 2018 Ken Sande
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