My sister works for the provincial government in the social services
department. She also volunteers her time to work with prostitutes in helping
get them off the streets. It's an area she tries to be a light in a world of
darkness. She has shared some wonderful stories about people in tragic
circumstances and also some real stories of those that don't manage to get
out.
I've led a pretty diverse life and have experienced a lot of things.
Yet in many ways, it's been a blind existence. I've seen my share of
prostitutes standing on corners, and I've seen my share of drug deals go
down. I know of the violence that happens in that world everyday, but I've
never been exposed to it first hand. I'm not blind to the existence of such
things, but I don't know what it is like to live in that world.
It seems to be a surreal reality. The prostitutes live in fear: fear of
the competition, fear of the pimps, fear of overdosing, and fear of the next
weird client. People of both genders and all ages, from the young child to
the senior citizen, trading their bodies to get money, often to purchase
drugs which mask the pain but which ironically force them back out into the
pain.
It's a world of darkness. Many people who aren't living in that world
either condemn its inhabitants or close their eyes and pretend the problems
don't exist. We don't like to think that it is only because of God's grace
that we're not living that lifestyle.
Fortunately, we serve a God who can reach in and deliver people from
whatever dark place they live in.
Rahab was a prostitute. She was an outcast in Jericho whose presence
would have been acknowledged only if she made a nuisance of herself or the
locals sought out her services. When the Israelite spies came to Jericho, she
recognized the God they served and she helped them out.
But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her
family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent
as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
Joshua 6:25 NIV
Gomer was a prostitute, but the Lord sent the prophet Hosea to deliver
her. I don't know which of the two would have been the most shocked, Hosea
because of the Lord's command or Gomer because of Hosea's offer.
When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the
LORD said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of
unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in
departing from the LORD."
You see He loves us no matter how far we've fallen. He loves us even
when He's rescued us and we turn our backs on Him and rush right back into
our old sinful ways.
He sees past the labels and sin. He doesn't see prostitute, murderer,
liar, cheat, hypocrite or any of the other labels. He sees one of the
children He created and longs for them to be made right with Him.
We're not all that different from Gomer. We clean up for a while then
stumble back into the dirt. Yet, over and over again, He remains faithful to
rescue us.
If you've fallen back into old ways, all you have to do is simply cry
out and He’ll be there to rescue you.
Until next time rejoice in His faithfulness.
Be blessed.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)!
Kevin
