27 million. 
That number grips me. It seems unreal. But it is real. Very real. There are over 27 million slaves in human trafficking. Sometimes I even dream about them. Locked up without hope and without a rescuer. I often think, what if that were me? And when those thoughts come into my heart I am overcome.

Every single day I enjoy freedom and safety. I have a husband who dearly loves me and I serve a God who created the universe. He sees them. He sees those who are in slavery. He sees them behind their bars and He holds the tears they cry in a bottle. I am the one who quickly forgets as I go throughout my day thinking about me. We weren’t meant to live for ourselves. Jesus came to set the prisoners free. The words of Isaiah 61 tell the story fully:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

Jesus, our Beloved Jesus, came to set prisoners free. I once a slave, too. I was in chains to my sin and death. But the power of Jesus’ blood that was spilled on the cross ransomed me. He conquered sin and He conquered death. And He. Lives. In. Me. I know what that means: I am to go out and set the captives free, too.

Christine Caine said this profound statement: God uses rescued people to rescue people. The blood of Jesus covers every inch of my mind, soul and body. Because I have been painted red by His blood, I go out to set others free in His name. 

I long to go to the ends of the earth and free the boys, girls, men and women who are being trafficked, beaten and abused at this very moment. We all want to be the rescuers, don’t we? It’s not about us, though. It’s about the power of God and the unquenchable love of Christ for His people. When we can’t go, we should pray. That is what I choose to do this day. I will pray for freedom and live in the freedom that Christ purchased for me. He has already broken the chains of sin and death.  He holds the keys to set those free who are in slavery today. That is the God that I serve.

Let’s spread the word, pray fervently and live in the freedom of Christ! We must be free in order to set others free. Don’t waste a minute. Let’s do this for Jesus and with Jesus.

free in Him,

Gretchen