Read: Psalm 10:17-18
You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them. (v. 18 NLT)
Domestic servitude is when a person who is working in a private home is either told she has no option of leaving or is persuaded to stay by force or threats. I first learned of domestic servitude through the story of a teenager who was promised a housekeeping position with good pay and her own room to sleep in. Instead, she had to sleep on a thin mattress in the kitchen. She was beaten and sexually assaulted by the husband, and she was never allowed to leave the house. Kept from neighbors, visitors, and even mail carriers, she was alone and trapped. Eventually someone outside of the family saw her and called the police, and she was rescued.
Psalm 10 affirms that our God is just, and he hates evil and those who do evil. That may sound harsh, but it’s true. It’s also true that Jesus taught us to love and pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44), yet if wicked people refuse to repent, someday they will receive what they deserve.
God knows the hopes of the helpless; he hears them, and he comforts them. When we ignore the parts of Scripture that address justice for the oppressed, we water down the gospel. When we ignore the people who are suffering, we turn away from Christ himself. We need to see this injustice, and act upon it. We need to be the voice for the voiceless. —Kelly Brace
As you pray, remember the women and children trapped in domestic servitude around the world.
About the Author
Kelly Brace is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, where she studied human trafficking.
