Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

I have been impressed for the last few days with the story of how God delivered Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego from the fiery furnace.  They stood in the midst of a fire so hot that it had burned the guards who threw them in, and yet they didn’t even smell smoky when they were taken out. (Dan 3:19-30)  Then Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den and spent a whole night with them, but God shut their mouths and he came out without a scratch. (Dan 6:16-28)  May it be so for the Christians who have been captured by ISIS.

Matt 7: 8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Lord, please protect the men, women and children who have been taken by ISIS.  Put your angels around them so that no one can even harm a hair on their head.

Exodus 12:29 Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of cattle. 30 And Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. 31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said. 32 “Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.” 33 And the Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; 36 and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

I’ve been thinking about this passage from Exodus as well.  Essentially, the Egyptians were so plagued that they evicted the Israelites before they even had a chance to bake their bread, and they sent them with silver and gold and clothing.  I pray that with the Christians in their midst, things will go so badly for the members of ISIS that they will be more than willing to let them go and send them away.

Matt 8: 16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill…            28 When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. 31 The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” 32 And He said to them, “Go!” And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. 33 The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region.

I also pray that God will cast out the demons who have taken over the bodies of each and every ISIS member and send those demons to the abyss.  And then I pray that the members of ISIS will repent of their sins just as the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears did.  Jesus told a parable about a moneylender to whom one man owed five hundred denarii (a day’s wages) and another owed fifty.  The moneylender forgave both their debts, so Jesus asked “Which of them therefore will love him more?”  The answer is, of course, the one who was forgiven more. (Luke 7:41-43)  I pray that every member of ISIS will come to love the Lord.  Am I asking too much?