A God of Grace
After Rachael gave her a Bible, Nadia discreetly started reading it and began to understand – this was a God of grace, love, and compassion; He even knew the exact number of hairs on her head and would leave ninety-nine sheep to save one – perhaps her. This God was quite unlike the one she was raised to believe in, and she desired to be part of His kingdom. Soon, Nadia prayed to place her trust in Christ, a secret she shared only with Rachael; but, when Nadia’s brother, Miled, discovered her praying and later going to church, he flew into a rage. He began beating her weekly, and insisted that she deny Christ.
Brutality at Home
She refused. He followed her to church one morning, caught up with her, grabbed her by the back of the neck, took her home, and beat her black and blue. “How dare you enter that church!” he exclaimed. “Have you forgotten that you are a Muslim? You are never to set foot in that church again!” “I should be free to attend church,” she protested, but he picked up a wooden bowl and slammed it into her forehead, splitting the skin above her eye. As blood poured out, he shoved her into her bedroom and locked the door. He kept her there for weeks, entering only to give her small amounts of food and water but many welts and bruises. Not one of her other family members objected to his brutality or did anything to help her.
Refuge and New Life
Finally, she escaped and found refuge with a pastor and his family. Because Nadia was a former Muslim, however, her presence put others at risk; and, fearing retaliation, they soon asked her to find someplace else to live; and, when she wanted to be baptised, three pastors turned her down because they feared they would be attacked or their churches would be burned. Eventually, a pastor in a distant town agreed to baptise Nadia. She felt a happiness she had never felt before. God then blessed her with a Christian man, whom she later married; but, when her parents learnt of the marriage, they registered kidnapping complaints against the man.
To Be Continued…
Date: 28th December 2024
Martyr: Nadia and Rachel
Location: Pakistan
Source: Tortured for Christ (The voice of the martyr)
Author: Richard Wurmbran
Suffering Saturday 123
Previous post
Next post
