1 Thessalonians 5:24
Faithful is He who calls you and He also will bring it to pass.
Faithful is He who calls you and He also will bring it to pass.
“God has a plan.”
“God is faithful to complete His plan.”
Do we really believe this Biblical truth deep within our core
or
are these just warm fuzzy religious words we attach to a situation that seems totally out of control to make ourselves feel better?
I recently attended The True Woman Conference in Indianapolis. The faithfulness of God was one of the big messages.
The last day of the conference we had the privilege of meeting and hearing from Naghmeh Abedini, wife of Pastor Saeed Abedini, an Iranian American Christian Pastor currently serving an eight year sentence in an Iranian prison. He was arrested when he went back to Iran to visit family and build an orphanage.
His wife, Naghmeh, never really mentioned the ‘faithfulness’ of God, per say, but I saw it all over her testimony!
She spoke of God releasing her from her own fears and anxieties when her husband was imprisoned. She spoke of how it rocked her comfortable world in Boise, Idaho, and set her on a journey speaking to government agencies – even the United Nations!
This is a woman who never wanted to be taken out of her comfort zone in Boise . . . but she and her husband had committed to being willing to do whatever God had for them…
The powerful faithfulness of God!
It’s how Naghmeh deals with the separation from her husband;
it’s how Pastor Saeed is handling his imprisonment;
it’s how we handle our circumstances when it does not seem like God is faithful. It could be a:
troubled marriage, finances that are in disarray, prodigal kids, the evil in the world.
But God has a plan!
Does faithful mean Pastor Saeed will be released, that our marriages will be healed, that our finances will be reconciled? Not necessarily.
In a letter Pastor Saeed wrote to his daughter (please go to this link and read), he spoke of God being in control, God having a purpose, God being glorified! Hearing about Pastor Saeed’s faith brought tears to my eyes. Tears of
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Joy – in Pastor Saeed’s faith in our faithful God even in the midst of terrible circumstances;
-
Sadness – for him and his family being separated and for the torture he has endured;
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Happiness – hearing how God is using him in that prison to bring the Light of the gospel into a very dark place!
- Amazement: for how God is using his wife, (very shy and introverted) to bring awareness to the public and government officials of the conditions her husband and others like him face.
Faithful means being reliable, steadfast and unwavering.
That’s Who God is!
Choose to believe this in the core of your being. Look for ways He is being reliable, steadfast and unwavering in your troubling circumstances and give Him praise for His faithfulness…
This is when it becomes more than just a cliche of words.
Let us not forget the 100 million Christians suffering persecution for their faith. Remember to pray for them!
Wow. Thank you for this. What a powerful reminder of truth. Pastor Saeed's letter is beautiful. I am wondering…does he have a Bible in prison? I would love to hear more of what she said about the influence he is having in prison. So much to ponder…thank you for sharing.