Me:  Howdy, Prodigal!  I see you are with a friend today.

 

Prodigal:  Yes, I was telling her about some of your insights and stories and she would like to hear about one.

 

Me:  Today this is about two women and comes from the book Freedom Fighter by Majed El Shafie

 

In March 2009, One Free World International sent out an alert about two courageous Iranian women, Maryam and Marzieh, who were held for almost nine months in prison and suffered abuse because of their Christian faith.  These two young converts from Islam were pressured, in court by a prosecutor, to renounce their Christian faith-they refused steadfastly and boldly testified about their relationship with God.  In the course of the hearing, the women reportedly indicated that they had become Christians as a result of being convicted by the Holy Spirit.  In response, the prosecutor stated, “It is impossible for God to speak with humans,”  to which Marzieh responded, “Are you questioning whether God is Almighty?”  When the prosecutor replied, “You are not worthy for God to speak to you,” Marzieh responded, “It is God, and not you, who determines if I am worthy.”

 

So what happened to these young women?  They were able to be rescued from Iran and now live in a country where they are not persecuted anymore.  They continue to live for God.

When you hear God’s voice.  You have a choice to be obedient or not.  If you are obedient to God’s voice then you do it because you trust God and not what people say.

I have a feeling these woman are not mad at the prosecutor, who doubted.  They just want God’s  love to be experienced by everyone.  That is how much God means to these women.  These women just want God’s Holy name to be remembered.  They feel blessed that for some reason God plucked them out of nothing and allowed their lives to be part of a story.  A story of man’s sin and then God’s grace.

 

2 Corinthians 10:17-18

Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.  18  For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

 

Jennifer Van Allen,

 

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org