Voices of the Middle East
Welcome to Voices of the Middle East, a SAT-7 UK podcast.
SAT-7 is an international Christian media ministry bringing life-changing joy to the people of the Middle East and North Africa. Last year we had over 103,000 one-to-one conversations with viewers, and through these conversations we are hearing constant stories of the ways God is at work in people’s lives.
In this podcast, we’ll share some of their stories with you, and invite you to pray for SAT-7 and the people of the region.
Today we share with you the story of Dany, a Palestinian man living in Syria, who is a horticulturalist by trade. This expert in growing rare plants discovered how God makes those who believe in Him grow up like a tree planted by streams of water.
It’s easy to be discouraged when those we care about show no signs of coming closer to faith in Christ. But, like seeds slowly taking root in the ground, we can never truly know what’s going on under the surface.
Dany contacted the SAT-7 viewer support team. “I'm a Palestinian living in Syria. I'm 75 years old and have been reading about Christianity for a long time now.” Wow, it just shows that it’s never too late for someone to reach out for God and begin a relationship with him. At 75, God had been watering the seeds of faith in Dany’s life for a long time and was prompting now him to find out more.
Dany told us: “I like what I have seen so far of Christianity. It is not an extremist ideology like the other religions I delved into or the different backgrounds I embrace.” It is not hard to imagine the extremism that Dany has been exposed to during the course of his life. His contact with SAT-7 came six months into the war in Gaza, and his home in Syria has suffered its own long and drawn-out war, with no end in sight to the hardships inflicted on the lives of ordinary people.
Contrary to what he had experienced of religion before, Dany said that “Christianity is a message of life for humans.” Did you catch what he said there? It’s a message of life for humans, all humans. Whereas Dany had experienced so much division of people along national, ethnic and religious lines, it was the universal offer of new life in Christ that appealed to him. Dany elaborated to the viewer support team, “I like what Christ says, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’ I feel it summarises the straight path of life.”
Despite his openness to the truth of Christianity, he still had questions, which is where the viewer support team was able to step in to offer help and guidance. “I’ve read parts of the Bible but many of the terms are ambiguous to me.”
Happy to guide him in the right direction, the team suggested Dany continue diving into the Gospel of John, where he had first read Jesus’ words. They encouraged him to get back in touch when he had finished and to let them know what he had understood from it.
When he reconnected with them only two days later, the team were delighted with his response. “I saw that John's Gospel is where Christ's deity is revealed; Jesus Christ is the Lord. And, yes, I want to receive Him as my Lord and Saviour.” They prayed together and Dany committed his life to Christ with joy.
In several exchanges over the next few weeks, the team answered several more of Dany’s questions, including about the work of the Holy Spirit. He said, “I understand now that the Holy Spirit is a person; in fact, He is God's might and the Spirit of Truth. He is the source of my strength.” They taught him about the importance of spending time with God, reading the Bible and praying, in order to help his newfound faith grow in strength.
Dany has discovered what it means to be a new creation. He said: “Thank you for everything you explained to me. I now know why Jesus was crucified for me and how it is possible to get rid of the past and advance into a new life. God is my fortress; on Him I depend. I am happy to be experiencing this new life.”
It’s not hard to see how Dany, who spends his days nurturing life as he tends to rare plants, resonated so strongly with this experience of receiving new life himself. “I’m an expert in growing rare plants. My profession taught me to be patient and, thanks to God, I'm successful in my business and I take joy in seeing the harvest of my work.”
After each long day’s work, Dany returns home and is watered by reading God’s Word, much like the man of Psalm 1, “whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.” Dany says, “I lack for nothing. I'm grateful and my heart has found peace. God is good. I'm learning to love Him and those around me.”
What a wonderful story of God’s grace, and an encouragement that He can reach people at any stage of life. Perhaps there are people in your life that you struggle to believe will ever come to the Lord. May Dany’s testimony remind you that it’s never too late, and that God can bring growth at the most unexpected times.
Let’s give thanks. Lord, we thank you for patiently pursuing Dany throughout his life and bringing forth faith in Your perfect timing. We give thanks that SAT-7’s viewer support team were able to encourage and support him in his journey . May his faith bear fruit in the lives of others.
We pray that others who have lived through conflicts and suffering would be drawn to the peace and new life offered in Christ. May SAT-7’s programmes present the truth of the gospel in a way that highlights this peace.
Finally, Lord, we pray for those who have yet to experience the new life that Jesus offers, thinking of those in our own lives, and across the MENA region.
Amen.
Thank you for listening to Voices of the Middle East, a SAT-7 UK podcast. Our teams on the ground are creating powerful, faith-filled television and digital media that is watched by millions of people in 25 countries, and our viewer support teams are always on hand to help people with questions, counselling and prayer requests. Viewers’ names have been changed for security, and actors have been used to represent their voices.
To pray with us every day, visit sat7uk.org/pray and download our latest Prayer Diary.
