It is inspiring to read the stories of Christians who stay true to their faith despite being persecuted by other people. This is exactly what the new devotional titled "I am n" by Voice of the Martyrs offers.
WND said the "n" in the devotional refers to the symbol used by ISIS and other radical Islamic groups to designate "Nazarenes" or followers of Jesus Christ.
There are 90 days' worth of devotions in "I am n," and each one shares a different story of how a Christian refused to renounce his or her faith no matter what the cost. Each story ends with a commentary on how readers can apply the lessons found in the story to their own lives, as well as an accompanying prayer.
One of the stories found in the devotional belongs to Abu, a Christian in Mosul who was threatened with death if he did not renounce Jesus. Another story tells about Kazim, a Christian in Pakistan who was beaten and robbed in his own home after he refused to stop preaching the Gospel.
Voice of the Martyrs Associate Vice President Jason Peters hopes that the gripping stories of faith and courage will inspire people to become better Christians.
"The hero of the story is Jesus Christ. He gives grace in these situations that we just can't explain from an earthly perspective," he said. "That's the heart of it. The key to all of this is eternal perspective. These brothers and sisters have got an eternal perspective in ways that we can't even begin to imagine."
Peters is amazed by the grace exhibited by Christians who were persecuted. Most of the themes found in the devotional are about sacrifice, courage, and faithfulness. A lot of those stories are quite shocking, added Peters, and there are also a lot of stories about forgiveness and joy.
"When you think about what it would take to forgive somebody who raped your daughter or killed your husband or burned your house down, it's incredible," Peters said.
