The past many days have been rough and beyond words. It’s been hard to process what we are seeing on our TV screens, on our social media feeds and hearing on the news about Afghanistan. Its all been over-whelming, saddening, and extremely worrisome. Some of us are enraged at the incompetence of leadership, others are burdened over the helpless plight of women and children and people of other faith practices, especially Christians. Some are infuriated over the injustice we see in the archaic practices of a micro-culture and extreme religious practices that we just do not understand. We should all be angry and heartbroken for the people of Afghanistan who have had the rug pulled from right under their feet and have been thrown into a whole new world, overnight.
So, what do we do with all these emotions, cares, burdens? Do we just passionately feel them for but a moment only to forget it and then replace it with the next sensational images that the news presents. Absolutely not. Today I hope to encourage you, and in the process myself, to look to the heavens where our help comes from.
First, we must place our heavy emotions where they belong, at the foot of the cross. Jesus says, “Come to me all who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11 v28) Bring your emotions, raw and heavy, to Jesus. Our helplessness, hurt and anger are pointless if they do not find their rightful purpose in Christ. Suffering and depravation are not lost on our Savior who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God as something to be grasped but emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2 v 6-11). He was scorned, mocked, beaten, spat up on and hung till death on a wooden cross for no crime of His own. Yes, believe me, He gets our fury against injustice. We indeed have in Jesus a High Priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, and so, we can confidently draw near to his throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4 v 14-16).
Our hearts are safe and understood by our Father in heaven.
The second thing we must do is remind ourselves of the Scriptures that bring light into dark places.
God is never off His throne or distracted. Things don’t slip by Him. Everything He has allowed is for His specific, soul-saving purpose. In Acts 17 v 26 -28, we read – “And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being”.
The Bible says in Romans 13 v 1 – “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” This is hard to understand. Until you read John 19 v 10,11, – Pilate threatening Jesus says, “Do you not know that I have the authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Sounds like familiar threats of the Taliban to our Christian brothers and sisters, doesn’t it? Jesus’ response to Pilate was “You would have no authority over me at all unless it have been given you from above”. God gave authority to such an evil one as Pontius Pilate over the blameless Son of God, in His plan to save the World. It is true we cannot see or understand God’s purpose behind His allowing the Taliban to come to power but make no mistake, His plan to save the world is still in process and will continue till His return. So, even through this, God will build His church and will save His people. Though we cannot understand His ways, He has proven himself worthy of our trust. He will keep His promise.
The reality is that few of us can have an impactful political, social, or personal response to what is happening in Afghanistan right now. But, our response as Christians will and it is the most effective and necessary at such a time. So, what should our response be? What do we do with all that we are feeling and seeing and hearing? We pray. Before you brush this off as a weak or lackadaisical response, let me remind you that prayer is rarely the last thing you would do. You see prayer transforms our hearts and motivates us to action. What that action is, God alone must show you.
I shared my testimony a while ago on this podcast of how my anger with God over the plight of orphans finally lead me to my knees crying out to Him and out of those heartbroken prayers birthed a passion for adoption that was never there before. You see prayer changes lives.
In Luke 11, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray and right after he taught them the Lord’s prayer, he immediately shares a parable about a persistent friend. Let me read it out for those of you who are not familiar with it – This is Luke 11 v 5 -10 – “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey and I have nothing to set before him, and he will answer from within. “Do not bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence, he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
Remember this parable is immediately following Him teaching them how to pray. This is a parable about prayer. What is striking about this parable, and likely what Jesus is focusing on, is the attitude of the friend who is expressing his need on behalf of his weary traveler friend. He says, “I have nothing to set before him”. He was aware that he had nothing to offer in this situation and was willing to go to his friend who could provide for his need. Isn’t this how the most of us feel as we look at people falling off airplanes, or throwing their babies over fences on our screens. I sure do. I feel like there is nothing I can do as I helplessly watch these horrors. But Jesus reminds us that there is. Even in the most inconvenient midnight hour, we can knock on His door and cry out on behalf of the people we know who are weary and suffering and are in desperate need. Jesus confirms His promise by saying that if a selfish, inconsiderate friend, like in this story, would be moved by such impudence how much more shall our good, good Father in heaven provide all we ask for, even the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray for the people of Afghanistan, with such stubborn persistence.
Let’s pray for
- Our Afghani sisters and brothers in Christ, who are being threatened and are afraid for their lives. May the Lord enrich their faith and keep them till the end. We do not know what lies ahead, but He does. Pray that He strengthens them to face what lies ahead. That He would teach them to be joyful in their suffering because that is something only the Holy Spirit can do. The Afghan church is facing a new season – may the Lord equip them for such a time as this. Even through this may their numbers increase and may the gospel of salvation spread.
- The women – They have experienced relative safety and freedom for the past 20 years and overnight they’ve been plunged back into the dark ages and forced into lives chosen by others and into marriages they do not want. Their jobs, education and any chance for these is being threatened. They are facing the very real danger of being used for sexual pleasure and torture. Pray for supernatural protection and for God to raise up men who will defend them.
- The children – oh, the children, none who have ever experienced the tyrannical reign of the Taliban before. They have lived freely so far. Now, they face a future of control and being cut off from the outside world, being fed propaganda. Pray that the little girls, would be allowed to have normal childhoods, that, like my girls, they could go to school, speak their minds, ride their bikes, and be free. That God will raise up heroes to defend the weak and the defenseless.
- Pray that lives will be spared, and mercy would prevail – especially those whose lives are most threatened right now – those that helped the western super-powers, those who do not follow the beliefs of the Taliban, those who will stand up against the injustices they see.
- Pray for the salvation of the Taliban leaders and members – No one is too lost to be met by the life-transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Pray for our hearts. That we will be moved by the suffering of people and that we will be willing to be the hands and feet of Christ.
We bring it all before you, Father and lay it at your feet. Help them. Help us all. AMEN!
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