God's Heart for the Oppressed

Facts:

• Every day 5,760 more children become orphans
• Each day 38,493 orphans age out (are released from the orphanage because of their age)
• Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out with no family to belong to and no place to call home
• These studies also show that 60% of the girls become prostitutes and 70% of the boys become hardened criminals
• Another study reported that of the 15,000 orphans aging out of state-run institutions every year, 10% committed suicide, 5,000 were unemployed, 6,000 were homeless and 3,000 were in prison within three years…
• An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked every year; (THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2005)
• 2 million children, the majority of them girls, are sexually exploited in the multibillion-dollar commercial sex industry. (THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2005)

(From http://www.orphanhopeintl.org/facts-statistics/)

Over the last year, as I have pursued God's heart for the orphaned, I have learned about the atrocity that is called human trafficking/prostitution.  If you read the facts above you will see how orphans and trafficking/prostitution are clearly closely related. These kids are not just numbers. Grouping the children together-1.2 million children trafficked-does not describe the individual lives that are being destroyed by men buying them for sex . Each one of the children that make up the 1.2 million child has a story. Each child has lost their parents most likely and some have even been sold into the sex industry by their parents. But, each child has been given life by the Creator, who gave you and me life. Therefore, their life is just as valuable as yours and mine. 

These trafficked children are being raped numerous times a day.  They are being fed little and some are kept in cages.  They likely know no human touch, except when they are being raped by men buying them for sex. They are full of shame and guilt for the life that they must live. Each trafficking situation is different, but they likely include one or all of these.

What is God's heart for these children?

He declares them His alone:

³ For this is what the Lord says:

“You were sold for nothing,
    and without money you will be redeemed. ”

Isaiah 52:3

He gave them Jesus:

“1Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
    and he will bring justice to the nations. "

3...in faithfulness he will bring forth justice...
4 He will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
    In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” 

Isaiah 42:1, 3-4 

He anoints us to help in His releasing them from captivity:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners.."

Isaiah 61:1

 

So that's what I'm doing. God has a different plan for all of us, but I am attempting to live my life in a way that is completely given to God for Him to use for His purposes, which for me I believe is the release and healing of these children.

Seeking God...Living for a Wedding Day

Changes cause reflection and I have experienced many changes recently, so I have been doing a lot of reflecting and here are some of my thoughts. They are revealing and honest, but here they are.

I look at the lives of a couple of women around me and at my own life and see that we have come out of a hard season. The seasons vary in difficulty, but they were still hard. The overall lesson learned after reflection: Seeking God is hard, but worth it to know more of His heart.

Sometimes seeking God's face isn't always going to be easy or fun.  Sometimes it means forgiving when you really don't want to and by worldly standards you really shouldn't have to forgive them. Sometimes it means giving up the comforts of your life to love the orphaned, when the orphaned don't necessarily even want/trust the love you offer.  It means giving your life fully to the healing of the brokenhearted without ever receiving a thank you.

Sometimes seeking God's face means trusting Him even if there seems to be quite a few unanswered prayers.  Sometimes it means choosing to trust Him when nothing makes any sense.  When you thought you had it all figured out and God reveals that He has different plans (and trusting that the different plans are better than your own).  To seek God's face no matter what circumstance you find yourself in. To trust that He is enough to get you through whatever heartache or hardship is happening in your life.

Sometimes following God means choosing to seek Him, although you may be completely worn out and just plain tired of seeking Him. Sometimes is a conscious choice to trust Him. Sometimes you have to choose to seek Him even when you feel the weight of the pain of the circumstance you or someone you love is experiencing and the weight feels heavier than what you can bear. 

To follow God means trusting Him and His goodness though pain and suffering seems to be all you can see.  If He is good then why is there all the pain and suffering? I have learned that there is not a simple textbook answer.  I have learned that God is far bigger than my question. While He loves me, He has not given me a mind that can comprehend all that He has done, is doing, and will do.  I must trust Him for the things of today and tomorrow, knowing that He is good-no matter what. And I as trust Him, I will fall deeper in love with Him. This is His desire and this is what is happening in my life.

And in reflection of the hard seasons I have seen God come through so clearly in both my life and my friends.  I have listened to these women speak of the wisdom they have gained and been so encouraged by their ability to stay steadfast in faith--no matter what. I am so grateful for the example of that these women, whose faith is solid and unchanging. If they can trust Jesus with the hard things then so can I and together we see Jesus move in both our lives.

So after the hard season this is what has happened. My faith has been strengthened and I know God's heart better.  I am more in love with Him, the Creator of my heart. I trust Him and trust that one day I will see His face and experience a wedding day, standing before the Lover of my soul dressed in white. Knowing that everything I did for Him was not in vain, but absolutely worth it to show my love and devotion to Him, for He is love and He is good.