Here’s a tough question: If you were starving and had to decide between taking a Bible or a bag of rice, which would you choose?
I was confronted with this same question on my recent trip to South Korea. While I was there, we visited with our partner, who works with Christians in North Korea to smuggle food and Bibles across the border.
He told me about their incredible faith when faced with the decision — a Bible or a bag of rice?
Watch the video below to hear the whole story:
When given a choice between a bag of rice and a Bible, North Korean Christians choose the Bible without hesitation. Even though they probably haven’t eaten a full meal in days, they value spiritual strength and encouragement over their urgent physical needs.
I’ve asked myself if I would’ve made the same decision.
Amid intense persecution, extreme hunger, and dangerous circumstances, Christians in North Korea recognize the immense power God’s Word has.
“[They] know the Bible [gives] them eternity, whereas the rice [will] be eaten for a very short period,” our partner said.
Their choice is a powerful demonstration of the Gospel’s presence inside North Korea. Despite the government’s best efforts at keeping Christianity out — through imprisonment, torture, and death — God is still present and active. He is working in North Korea.
But even though they reached for the Bibles first, we are working to ensure every person can also receive a bag of rice. Providing help and hope is all about meeting both physical and spiritual needs, together. It doesn’t have to be — and shouldn’t be — one or the other.
North Korean Christians are desperate for physical and spiritual nourishment
That’s the kind of life-changing impact you have when you give to help persecuted North Koreans … which is why I’m hoping you’ll give today.
Because the truth is, there’s still work to be done. If I had to choose one takeaway from my recent trip to the border, it would be that the need for God’s Word is greater than ever. You see, the underground church isn’t just thriving — it’s growing.
On top of that, North Korea is currently going through the worst famine they’ve had in decades, and its citizens are starving.
You can help meet both of these urgent needs right now. For just $20 — the equivalent of a meal at a nice restaurant — you can provide a week’s worth of food and a copy of God’s Word to one persecuted North Korean Christian.
This gift will be a source of incredible hope and an amazing tool to spread the Gospel even further in North Korea. Not only that, but your gift will have an eternal impact. What an amazing blessing!
Will you send help and hope to North Korean Christians today?