Enduring Attack With Faith
Gulnaz is a young married Christian woman who worked at a phone center. One day a Muslim man came in to make a call and refused to leave. He then made sexual advances toward her. When she slapped him, he vowed that he would make her pay for her “disrespect.” Unfortunately, young Christian women in Pakistan often drink from a very bitter cup of suffering. Some men take pleasure in exerting power over these women for their own shameful satisfaction. They treat them as nothing more than possessions to be used and discarded. Gulnaz suffered such abuse. Her would-be attacker returned and poured acid on her, badly burning her face, chest, and arms.
Renewal and Spiritual Growth
But her story of faith and joy will not go untold. Christian medical personnel helped to provide treatment for her injuries, including surgery that enabled greater use of her severely damaged arm. As she slowly healed from her wounds, Gulnaz experienced renewal and growth in her spiritual life as well. Instead of dwelling on her attack and the terrible scarring that resulted, Gulnaz and her husband kept their eyes firmly fixed on God. They refused to allow their circumstances to weigh them down in bitterness. Out of her tragedy emerged a triumph of God-breathed love and joy over hate.
Generosity and Witness
Gulnaz and her husband live in a rundown neighborhood with open sewage in the streets and garbage piled everywhere. Looking at the needs around her, Gulnaz began witnessing to young girls. She even started a small Bible study for them. When Christians gave Gulnaz and her husband a home in a much nicer area, the couple instead gave the keys to a Pakistani evangelist who was forced to live on the run after radical Muslims targeted his ministry. The home would have been very comfortable for the couple to live in, or they could have sold it for money they needed. But they figured the evangelist needed the home more than they did.
The generosity and joy they express in the wake of the pain they endure are an inspiration to anyone who faces even the least bit of persecution. In situations such as Gulnaz’s, it is easy to allow the circumstances or the people who try to control us to define us. But if we are followers of Jesus, our approval comes from him alone. Romans 10:11 reminds us, “Whoever believes on Him [Jesus] will not be put to shame” (NKJV). Jesus loves us unconditionally, and by focusing on him rather than our circumstances, we can walk through persecution with joy and hope. Let us pray that they not only stand firm in their faith but also stand tall in the joy of Jesus’s love for them.
Date: 1st November 2025
Martyrs: Gulnaz
Location: Pakistan
Source: The Voice of the Martyrs “I am n”
Author: Not specified
Suffering Saturday 167
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