God's Pearls

Leviticus 19:29 "'Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness.'"

This past Sunday, I was made aware of the horrific reality of human traffiking. Around the world, children are sold by their parents into a life of slavery, which includes prostitution and other heinous acts -- things which such young children should never have to see, let alone partake of. Why? Because poverty is present in many areas of the world, and human traffiking is a lucrative business. Children as young as 5 to 7 years old are caught in the middle of this endless nightmare! Many times, children are even kidnapped by human traffickers! 12.3 million children are sold into slavery, and every 30 seconds one more precious soul is snatched by this giant! I was also shocked to learn that this is not just happening over in places far away like Cambodia; it is happening right here in my hometown!

What especially struck me was the fact that these children have never really known true love. Their parents didn't want them. The people who mistreat them don't really love them. But they have to live this way, because they have no choice; if they should try to escape, they would be as good as dead, because greed is the leading factor in this "business." This is all they know! All their lives, they've been used and abused and made to believe that no one REALLY loves them.

So often, when I hear of these things, it is just too much to even fathom; my heart wants to pretend it does not exist in an effort to ease the depression that sets in from thinking about these poor kids! But that's just the point: we can't sit idley by while God's people are enslaved! 1 John 3:17 states, "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" Do we REALLY love God? Then we will take a step towards helping His people! These children are made in God's image, but no one has ever told them that! They need to know that they are special to the Lord! They are God's jewels -- His pearls! "And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels" (Malachi 3:17).

I saw this Scripture today and thought, "How true this is!": "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you do well; but if you show partiallity, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as trangressors" (James 2:8). If we really love God, we will love His people; and if we really love His people, we won't show partiality -- "Well, these aren't my kids, I feel uncomfortable about this situation, etc." What does it matter what we think or how we feel?! These are GOD'S CHILDREN!!! God is calling each of us to do something, just as He said to Moses: "I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt."' (Acts 7:34) It is said of Jesus, "'The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.'" (Isaiah 61:1-3) We have His power, therefore, we must do something -- we must set people free!
 
And this is where there is good news. To help prevent young children from this horrendous fate, John and Lisa Bevere have established a ministry called Pearl Alliance. The ministry helps these children by building safe houses for them where they can work to support themselves so that they don't have to go back out onto the streets. They even provide gardens, so that the children can plant and harvest there own food. They also sell handmade bracelets with the message, "It's Not OK"! All proceeds go directly to the safehouses to be used by the children there. This bracelet is an excellent conversation-starter, enabling you to make even more people aware of the situation. And the ministry doesn't just makes sure that the kids are taken off the streets; they also do their best to make sure that no more additional children are kidnapped and enslaved. The website has all the information you will need to get informed and take action. I strongly encourage you to go visit and to step up to the plate to take action! For more on what you can do, click here.


In closing, I want to present this Scripture to you all:

"'Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,' says the Lord GOD.... You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God," says the Lord GOD." ~ Ezekiel 34:27-31

P.S. If you want to learn more from other bloggers on this subject, you can check out my sidebar - Jay's Musik Blog and As In A Mirror!