Faith Under Pressure: Stories From the Persecuted ChurchНамуна

Isaac, Nigeria – Don’t lose hope

A few years ago, a group of extremists charged through a Christian area of Nigeria, killing 15 innocent people and burning down homes. Isaac and 22 other young men were arrested and falsely accused of planning revenge killings.

They were thrown in prison, where they were forced to share cells with extremist Islamic prisoners who would have targeted and killed Christians. Despite immense hatred from their fellow prisoners, they chose to have hope. Isaac and his friends met every day, focusing on God’s goodness and provision, not dwelling on the harsh situation they found themselves in.

Something amazing began to happen. Sick people in the prison were prayed for and were healed. Other prisoners began joining their meetings, and eventually over 20 people began following Jesus. Isaac and his friends didn’t lose hope; they remained faithful and prayed continually, believing that God could use them, even in prison.

In Matthew, Jesus says:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” Matthew 5:10-11 (NIV)

These words can be really confusing to hear. From our perspective, persecuted Christians like Isaac don’t look like they're experiencing blessing. Jesus calls them blessed because they have a future hope of a great reward in heaven. Not only that, but they also get to experience blessings here and now in this life. It was their experience of persecution that brought 20 others to faith in Jesus. Isaac explains this feeling of blessing:

“I give God all honour who enabled me to share Christ’s love in prison. It was a sweet miracle to see 20 men giving their lives to Christ. My heart is at peace; I have no regrets about spending two years behind bars.”

Questions:

1. What could you learn from Isaac and his friends about seeing hard times as a blessing?
2. Isaac saw 20 people come to faith in Jesus, despite being persecuted. How can you shine with the light of Jesus so that you can see people in your life come to faith?

Prayer:

Jesus, I thank you for Isaac’s courageous and bold faith. I thank you that even when things were hard, he didn’t lose hope. Give me the strength to find hope in you when things are difficult. Help me to find the blessings, even in dark places. In Jesus’ name, Amen.