"Ask God to break your heart for what breaks His, and when He does, don't be surprised if He tells you to go do something about it."
One of my squadmates posted this online today and it resonated greatly with me. See, after getting accepted to the World Race, I began to pray that prayer, and God responded greatly. I started to read lots of blogs that had to do with modern day slavery, particularly sexual slavery. I also received a message from a good friend of mine who is on a YWAM trip in Europe. Her team was preparing to go out in the red light districts.
What once was a vague, general idea became names and faces, stories. What once was a problem for other people to deal with became personal, something I was upset about. It became something that I had to join the fight against.
I had recently downloaded an album called Hold On, which is the soundtrack to a documentary on modern day slavery. While the documentary, Nefarious: Merchant of Souls can only be viewed at screenings, I had the soundtrack available for me to tear apart my heart. One song in specific hit me pretty hard: Eyes of Fire by Zachary Simms.
Every time I heard this song, it just sparked this fire in me. This is what I’m called to do! I would think. This shouldn’t be happening. I’m not okay with this. God, what can I do to stop this? How can I let this go on while I sit on my fancy computer, texting on my fancy phone? How can I live a normal life while people are being sold for profit like they are nothing? How can I sleep at night while women are being forced to sell their bodies? God, what can I do?
The amazing thing for me was that God had already called me to do something about it without me even realizing it! I was already accepted to the World Race. I already was fundraising. The Race may not focus entirely on modern day slavery, but its sure to be something I will encounter at least once while away, and I will join the fight. I can do something about it!
The song by Zachary Simms is actually taken almost directly from Psalm 12: “Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.They speak falsehood to one another; With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things; Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?" "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs." The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. You, O LORD, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever. The wicked strut about on every side When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
This passage shows that the words of the song aren’t just empty words. God surely WILL repay the oppressor. He WILL bring justice to those who desperately need it. He isn’t a God of empty promises.
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners.” Isaiah 61:1
Jesus is the fulfillment of this verse. He assigns it to Himself in Luke 4:18. His coming to the earth marked the beginning of the end of oppression, of hate, of abuse, of violence, of all the sin we are plagued with in this world. I believe that we are called to be His hands and feet. We, too, are called to bring justice across this earth, to bring freedom to those who desperately need it. That is why that song has become so dear to me. It is my calling, put to music. It is the breaking of my heart, put into words. It is my destiny, laid out before me.
For the oppression of the poor/For the sighing of the needy/I will arise, I WILL ARISE/And set them in the safety for which they yearn.-Eyes of Fire by Zachary Simms
