Upside Down Victories
Maryam Rostampour-Keller probably never thought that jail would be her greatest testimony. While living in the Muslim country of Iran, under the roof of her non-practicing Muslim family, God got a hold of her through an encounter in her room. Her sister had handed her a tract on the Gospel of Luke. She read it and asked God in her language of Farsi to reveal Himself to her, and God answered her prayer. Not too long after, her sister also became a Christ follower, and the pair decided to evangelize in Iran by distributing New Testament Bibles, often leaving them in people’s mailboxes.
Despite Islamic law forbidding the sharing of their Christian faith, Maryam and her sister handed out over 20,000 Bibles. Putting their lives on the line, the brave duo also started several home churches where they witnessed to women, widows, and prostitutes, and spoke to anyone willing to listen about the love of Jesus in restaurants, stores, or in the streets. They acted covertly for over three years before they were arrested for apostasy, sent to prison, and sentenced to hang.
Being sentenced to death doesn’t sound like a win, but God opened their eyes and redefined their victory. While in Evin Prison in Tehran, known for its executions and torture of inmates, Maryam and her sister used their time to evangelize to other cellmates and political prisoners who were desperate to hear about the hope of Jesus.
God wasn’t done with miracles. Voice of the Martyrs heard about Maryam and her sister’s story and did a letter campaign to encourage them. The guards became nervous about all the boxes of letters addressed to the women. Several questioned Maryam after reading some of the mail about Jesus and why He’s referred to as a shepherd. Concerned by all the attention, the Iranian government released Maryam and her sister from prison, and the pair were able to flee Iran, but not before leaving a big impact.
Paul has a similar story, and I love his confidence and powerful words as he talks about it in 2 Corinthians 1:9-11, “In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.”
The cross was an instrument of torture and death. It too wouldn’t have been considered a victory—but for God. Jesus turned ultimate defeat into Victory. The cross, meant to destroy, became a symbol of salvation. What was meant to make people fear and tremble now has us celebrating and rejoicing. What was meant for evil, God in His glorious plan changed for good.
What in your life is God trying to redefine? How is He creating beauty from ashes? What defeats are being revised into victories?
To find out more about Maryam’s story, check out the C.S. Lewis Institute or her book, Captive in Iran.