Pakistan: Punishment Turns to Blessing Print

As a Muslim youth in Pakistan, Rafiq joined the Pakistani army. The army sent him to a city far from his home. A Christian invited Rafiq to a church in the city. Rafiq heard what the Bible says about sin and salvation, and he gave his heart to Jesus!

He was so excited about his new life! He began to tell everyone about Jesus, even the Muslims in the army.  One day, a Muslim army officer warned Rafiq to stop talking about Jesus. But Rafiq could not stop sharing the love of Jesus with others.

The officer decided to punish him. He told Rafiq he was going to send him to another place where the army work was very hard.

Sad to Leave
Rafiq did not want to leave his new church family. “Will you pray that I will not have to go away?” he asked the people at the church.

“No,” they answered. “We can’t pray for that. For two years we have been praying that God would send more Christians to the place where the army is sending you. Maybe you are one of the Christians he is sending.”


Rafiq did not understand. He felt sad and disappointed. He left the city with an unhappy heart.


Happy to Stay
One night after the lights were out at this new army base, Rafiq decided to read his Bible. He covered himself with a blanket and began reading by a small flashlight.

A Muslim officer discovered Rafiq reading the Bible. The officer was angry. “Come to my office tomorrow,” he told Rafiq. “And bring this book. You will be punished for reading after the lights were supposed to be out.”

Rafiq was afraid. He took his fears to God in prayer. The next morning, the officer asked Rafiq questions and looked at his Bible. As he read God’s Word, God touched his heart and he was no longer angry.

“Your God is a living and powerful God,” he said to Rafiq. The officer gave Rafiq permission to freely share the gospel with others.

The army had sent Rafiq to punishment place where he did not want to go for six months, but Rafiq willingly stayed for three years. Several people he talked to became Christians, and he started a new church in the area. Rafiq then understood why God had allowed him to go to a place he did not want to go, and he was glad he went.

To Talk About

 

  • Sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives that we do not like. But he can turn bad situations into something good for us and for his kingdom. One example is in the story of Joseph in Genesis 37 and 39 through 45. Can you think of others?
  • How was Rafiq like Jonah in the Bible?

(To protect their identities, the names of some of the people on this site and some identifying details have been changed. Some of the quotes and stories have been edited and paraphrased from the original sources for clarity.)