Word-Filled Wednesday ~#94~ The Least of These

"Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death." ~Ex. 21:16

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' . . . He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'" ~Matt. 25:40 & 45 

Our church is wrapping up a three-week series on hard topics: racism, homosexuality and, this week, human/slave trafficking. We are blessed to attend a church led by pastors who lovingly, passionately handle the hard things with grace and Biblical truth. 

As Christians, we see that slavery can come in many different forms. We probably know and love someone who is caught in some sort of slavery, whether it be one of the ones listed above or drugs, alcoholism, gambling, porn, an obsessive quest for popularity, rage, the need to control, the need to be perfect . . . all of which are games that the devil plays.  

What can we do to help? First and foremost: pray. Pray that their chains, real or imagined, would be broken. Pray that if they are involved with someone who is leading them into a life of sin, that all ties will be cut and that they will be separated from them and pray that they would invite Jesus to be their Savior and Lord and that the Holy Spirit would fill the emptiness with Himself. Scripture tells us that if the Holy Spirit doesn't fill the emptiness, then things can get even worse. "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order . . . And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." ~Matt. 12:43-45

Yes, slavery takes many forms ~ we may even be slave to something ourselves. Pray that chains will be broken and that true freedom will be found in the loving arms of Jesus Christ ~ the One Who destroyed the chains of death, hell and the grave ~ the One Who loves you and wants you to experience real freedom in Him.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><