I’ve yet to sit alongside a victim of human trafficking and tell them how much they mean to Jesus. I haven’t befriended child slaves or seen much of the oppression that happens in the crooks and crevices of Thailand. But I see a different form of slavery in which people fall victim to every day. I see spiritual slavery under false idols everywhere I look. And Jesus wants those chains broken immediately.
Walking along the streets we are greeted with smiles and “sawadee kha’s” which is Thai for Hello! People overflow with hospitality and take care of us better than we can take care of ourselves. They are gentle and peaceful and genuine. Almost every one of them is Buddhist. It breaks my heart to see them bow to their idols and put their hope in something that will never reciprocate. It especially broke my heart when we visited a kind old woman who lived alone. We went to do some yard work for her, but learned as we sat to eat lunch with her how lonely she was. Her son became a Christian while he was in prison, and had been recently released. She couldn’t understand his decision and didn’t know why he had to change. We prayed for her heart to soften towards him even though she didn’t agree with his choice. We prayed that she would know how much God loves her and wants to be with her, but she continued to make sacrifices to her idols. I continue to pray for her today.
God does not take idolatry lightly and neither should we. We should be pursuing these people with the level of passion and persistence that Jesus pursues us with. We should be constantly partnering in prayer for people who are unknowingly choosing to fall into captivity. Their gods cannot save them, but our God, the One True God, can.
“Thus, says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.”
-Isaiah 44:6
