So, today I’m on the Gram perusing through @TheShaderoom (don’t judge me 😊) when I come across a post that reads, ‘#FreeHaiti Trends on Twitter As People Speak Out Against Kidnappings & Calls for the Current President to Resign’. This immediately sparked my attention because Thursday I read an article entitled, ‘Feds Find 31 Missing North Texas Children After Human Trafficking Operation’ and just last Tuesday, I read another article, ‘Hundred of Girls Abducted From Nigerian School Are Freed’, and that’s in the past two weeks. So, me being the Word Girl that I am, I decided to search out similar instances in the Bible, and sure enough, two came to mind. One with Abraham and the other with David.
Abraham Pulls Up on 9 Kings
In Genesis 14, we find four kings warring against five rival kings. During the war, Abraham’s nephew and his family were taken captive or were prisoners of war. Word got back to Abraham but instead of waiting on law enforcement, Abraham took matters into his owns hands and he and ‘…three hundred and eighteen [of his] trained servants…went…and…attacked…and pursued…[and]…brought back all the goods…Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.’ (v.1-16) You see that? Abraham rode. He didn't turn a blind eye but instead went in pursuit of those taken captive. There are men and women – in the body of Christ and in law enforcement – whom God has anointed and trained to do the same. There are people of God, in Haiti, whom God is raising up, for such a time as this, who will attack and pursue – either physically or legally, kidnappers and/or traffickers. So, before we move on to our second example…
Pray this with me: Heavenly Father, just as You gave Abraham 318 trained personnel to attack and pursue kings and their armies, I thank You for those You’ve anointed and trained - in the body of Christ, in law enforcement, and in Haiti - to do the same for Your people that have been that have been taken captive and/or are being trafficked. And just as Abraham experienced victory, I thank You that those men and women will experience the same. In Jesus’ name.
David Rides on the Amalekites
Now let’s check out the second instance of kidnapping in which David rode on the Amalekites which can be found in 1 Samuel 30. Before we do, it’s important to note that though these are kidnapping instances, by definition, sex trafficking can also be included. Although the Department of Justice failed to explicitly define kidnapping, their site does however state,
‘…the essential elements of [kidnapping]…are the involuntary nature of the seizure and detention.’1
Whereas sex trafficking, as defined by the DOJ, is when someone,
'…is induced by force, fraud, or coercion’ and is also, ‘the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.’2
Thus, legally kidnapping and trafficking are similar in nature and thus important to establish for victims of each, today.
Again, in 1 Samuel 30, we find David and his staff returning from a trip, only to discover, ‘…the Amalekites had invaded…[and]…attacked Ziklag and…had taken [the women].’ In that moment, David sought God and it was then that God told David to ride on them boys 😂😂. No He didn't but He did tell him to, ‘Pursue [those kidnappers/traffickers], for [he would]… overtake them and without fail recover [everyone taken].” While David and his 400 men went in pursuit, they found a slave/worker who worked for the Amalekites (i.e., gang, enterprise, crew), who’d been left for dead because he was sick. Thankfully, David came along, found and fed him and asked if he’d be willing to lead them to the Amalekites. This is crucial because David now had an insider. An informant that would lead him to the kidnappers/traffickers. The fact that God left that bit of intel for us thousands of years later is important because we can now use our faith that He will do the same for victims today.
The scripture goes on the read that, ‘…when [the informant] had brought [David and his boys to the spot], there [the kidnappers/traffickers] were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah’. Don’t miss that. When David and his team arrived, the kidnappers/traffickers were partying. These people had just devastated families, loved ones and friends and had the nerve to be in strip clubs and bars; enjoying their lives; all while partying in the presence of those they’d taken captive; calloused to the fact that their victims were afraid and traumatized. The same is true today for those in Haiti and around the world. SMH. 😔😔😔
The good part is that while they did, David and his crew rolled up on ‘em and rescued the people. Yep! While they were ‘living lavishly’, in my @Tony Baker voice, they were being surveilled and tailed and soon their joy would be turned to pain. My prayer is that God raises up David’s in Haiti and around the world to do the same. Won’t you pray the same happens?
Pray this with me: Heavenly Father, I lift up kidnapping and trafficking victims in Haiti and ask that You’d raise up men and women like Abraham and David, who are trained to rescue kidnapping and trafficking victims. Lord, I pray that You’d send them insiders and give them prowess and courage needed to get back those whom the enemy stole. In Jesus’ name.
But you know what y’all? God told us in Matthew 5:44 to, ‘…pray for those who spitefully use…and persecute you.’ There’s no need in God sending people to rescue victims while those who did it, remain in that life and find new ones. So, let’s pray for the kidnappers and traffickers as well. Not for those who are NOT God’s children, but for those who are but may not know who their Father is. So…
Pray this with me: Heavenly Father, I thank You for delivering kidnappers and traffickers from the spirit of bondage and from the power of darkness. I thank You for baptizing them in the name of the Lord Jesus and that they are becoming people of Your Word, prayer, and praise and will speak with tongues and magnify You. I thank You that instead of kidnapping for ransom and trafficking for money that they’d give attention to Your Word, exhortation and no longer neglect the gift that You’ve given them because therein lies the money and security they so desire. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. (Col 1:13, I Tim. 2:8, Acts 10:46, I Tim 4:13,14, Lk. 24:45)
So be it y’all. Praise God! We have just given God room to do miracles in Haiti and around the world. You are to be commended for your faith and praises. #uptop
Copyright 2021 © Real Issues Publishing®. All rights reserved.
SOURCES
Comments