Pastor Saeed Abedini is more than happy that he is finally free from his prison cell in Iran. There are times, however, when he revisits his painful memories while in prison to help inspire people to strengthen their faith to God.
On his Facebook page, Abedini shared the Bible verse Isaiah 53:7, which reads: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
He then shared his feelings and personal experience with the verse. "This verse has been on my heart today. To know what our Saviour on the cross went through for our salvation touches my heart deeply. Although I experienced some torture in prison, the thing I remember is that I could not speak for myself. He taught me to turn to Him instead of man," said Abedini.
The pastor said he felt comforted while he was in prison because God was with him, adding that no amount of torture was enough to let him renounce his faith. At the same time, he felt grateful for all the support he received from complete strangers who helped in pushing for his release.
"And now I know that you all were my voice. I had no voice in prison. My prayer is that we will continue to be that voice for each other. We are one in prayer. It is the most powerful thing we do," he added.
Earlier, Abedini received a medical check-up, and he felt so grateful for the experience because "it was so opposite of my experience at the hospital in Iran."
"They beat me in front of my mother, picked me up by my arms and legs and threw me to the car. Just one more reason why I love the United States," he said. "I have a few physical issues to get healed but God is able and I trust him to heal my body."
