'That’s the truth'
When the Siar people of Papua New Guinea heard about the plagues God sent to the Egyptians in Exodus, they began to compare their own beliefs with the Word of God.
“The Siars’ view of the world around them has some strong similarities to that of the Egyptians many years ago,” wrote missionary Chris Lujan. “You see, the Siars believe that man has the power to affect the outcome of the weather. They also believe that through special words and rituals, they can take food from another’s garden and put it into theirs … through a 'spiritual' agent.
"They also believe that there are spirits that live in rivers and the ocean that are part snake and part man. These spirits must be appeased in order get a favorable outcome in the circumstances of their lives.”
The recent evangelistic Bible lessons from the book of Exodus portrayed the powerful, all-mighty God exercising His power over the gods of the Egyptians. The missionaries showed that the Egyptian gods were not gods at all but lies that had been taught for years. As the truth of God’s Word began to sink into the Siars, several women shouted, “Sigil i,” meaning, "That’s the truth!"
As the Bible teaching began to resonate with the Siars, Chris continued to make his point that only God can deliver.
“Notice what Moses says in Exodus 14:14,” Chris said to the Siars. “The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still. God will do it all, you will do nothing. Wow, what an amazing God. He will do it all. Do we really believe that?
“The Israelites had a problem with that. They complained to Moses about their fate, thinking that they were going to die in the desert. Whining and complaining ... a disease we all have. From there we applied it to the Siars that God will do everything that is necessary and everything that we desperately need for salvation. He will do it all, and we will do nothing.”
When the Siars heard that, several men including Sali and Jon, shouted “Sigil i!” The Siars are beginning to understand and believe that God is the God who gives free grace.
Pray that the Siar people will continue to come to the teaching and that step-by-step they will understand God’s working in the lives of people and trust God for their salvation. Pray also that the missionaries ministering to the Siars will clearly and effectively present God’s Word in the evangelistic Bible lessons.