Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Tricked into Giving Bibles away

“One day the teacher told us that we would play a special game. She whispered to us about a special book that our parents may have hidden in our homes. We were to wait until our parents went to sleep, search for this book, and secretly bring it to school the following day for a special surprise. I went home and immediately began searching for the book.
“The next day I was one of fourteen children who brought the black book, a Bible, to class. We were awarded bright red scarves, and the other students clapped as the teacher paraded us around the room.
“I ran home that afternoon because I was so excited to tell my mother how I had won the red scarf. She wasn’t in the house or the barn. I waited, but neither she nor my father came home, and I began to get scared. I was hungry and it was becoming dark. I began to feel sick inside, and I fell asleep in a chair.
“The next day police officers came and informed me that I was now in the care of the government. I never saw my parents again.”
An elderly woman from North Korea relayed this story. She never heard from her parents and is still struggling to find forgiveness. She is only one of many who have gone through such trials.



Let us be in prayer for the people like this lady in North Korea. It's so easy to fall into the trap of just believing that these people are just names or figures. It's easier still just not to think about it. Not to think about the pain and suffering that goes on around the world; not to think about how those who try to preserve the faith are brutally and heartlessly murdered and imprisoned around the world. It's easy to try to ignore it, or push away thoughts of it that arise in our minds.
But the people of North Korea who are suffering right now under the iron fist of a Communist dictator are real people. They are real people who are being deprived of the gospel. And they are real people who need the Lord. Because the heart of the problem lies in their need for a Savior. North Korea has robbed so many people of their Bibles, like in this story; they have done so much to deter the spread of the gospel. Yet the people still need the Lord. Still, even though darkness has filled North Korea like a plague, still, the people are hungry for the Lord. Still.

And they will continue to need the Lord. Forever.
Tomorrow, they will still need the Lord.

Still.

Forever they will need the Lord.

Still.

These people-- real people-- need the Lord. So please, join me in prayer for them. Pray continuously for the people of North Korea who are persecuted and not allowed to read the Bible. Pray that God would work a miracle so that they can know Him personally and experience His love. Pray, pray, pray. I challenge you to pray for them constantly. Do something that will remind you of them often, and pray whenever you're reminded. Pray with me for these people. Ask others to pray. These people need the Lord.

Still.

2 comments:

Haley said...

I'll pray... but you know, you should really post some pictures of your adventures in Haiti. Your near-death incident, for example? Or other adventures?

Love ya, Haley

Rachel Pettersen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.