Pastor Saeed Abedini is a native Iranian. In 2005 he moved to the United States and four years ago he became an American citizen. He never severed ties to his homeland and in 2012 he returned to build an orphanage. The Iranians accused him of setting up Christian house churches and sentenced him to eight years in prison.
He has now spent two years there. Radical Muslims in the prison have threatened to kill him and he has been beaten up several times. How is Pastor Saeed responding?
Last week, a Christian organization released a letter from Pastor Saeed to his daughter for her birthday. After wishing her happy birthday and telling her how much he wants to see her, he wrote the following:
I know that you question why you have prayed so many times for my return and yet I am not home yet… The answer to the why is who. Who is in control? Lord Jesus Christ is in control…
God is in control of the whole world and everything that is happening in it is for His good purpose, for His glory, and will be worked out for our good…
…my dear beloved daughter Rebekka Grace, I pray God will bring me back home soon. But if not, we will still sing together …’Hallelujah,’ either separated by prison walls or together at home.
So, let Daddy hear you sing a loud ‘Hallelujah’ that I can hear all the way here in the prison!
Kisses and Blessings,
Daddy
John Stonestreet challenges us to ask how our faith would hold up if we were put into prison. How would you handle the separation from your family?
What if you were one of those prisoners of ISIS? Would you be able to see your beheading as part of God’s wonderful plan for you?
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Adapted from “Pastor Saeed’s Test of Faith, and Ours: For God’s Glory,” John Stonestreet, BreakPoint Commentary, September 30, 2014, < http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/26155 >. Copyright (c) 2014 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. “BreakPoint” is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.