Seeking to live a simple life of faith in the powerful love of God

Do the problems we face in this world ever seem overwhelming to you, complex beyond reasonable solution? How do people, especially God’s people, deal with issues like drug problems in our communities? How do we face family disintegration and struggles, trade wars, terrorism, and environmental issues?

I recently completed a “Basic Teachings of the Bible Class” again. In this class, we discuss Who God is, what He has done for us, His blessings in our lives, and how He calls us to live.

In the midst of a complex and confusing world, God’s call to Christians is actually quite simple. He calls us to believe in Him, and to live in faith and love. But while God’s call to live in His grace may seem simple, it is actually very difficult as we struggle against the enemies of God and His people, the devil, the world, and our flesh.

Therefore, God gives His help to His people. The Lord gives His word, which we receive in regular worship and through personal devotions. Our Savior promises to work His gifts of love and faith in our lives through our baptisms and in the Lord’s Supper. God promises to answer our faithful prayers.

However, sometimes these answers from God to the complicated problems of life seem so simple that we dismiss God’s call to Christian living, and even God’s people can doubt His promises to help.

So, let me share with you story I heard this past week.

For the last seven years, Mrs. Temple Christiansen has taught seventh-grade confirmation classes. This is a real labor of love, since Temple’s four boys have all finished confirmation classes and are in or have graduated from college.

With her classes, Temple has been trusting God’s promises and going to Him in prayer for various concerns. Please read below as she shares one journey our prayer she and her classes have taken with our Lord.

For the last four or five years, our 7th-Grade Confirmation Class has had a lesson, which included discussion on the persecuted church around the world. At some point in those years, a certain Pakistani Christian woman’s story was in the news and I shared it with our class.

The woman’s name is Asia Bibi, a mother of 5 or 6 children. She was arrested, tried, convicted and condemned to death in Pakistan of blasphemy because she offered a cup of water to two Muslim women whom she worked with on a farm. The women claimed that, instead of a very caring Christian act of recognizing other’s needs and doing what she could to help, that she was attempting to defile them.

Asia was imprisoned for many years, and struggled through multiple appeal attempts with dignitaries and ambassadors, and lawyers from the United States and other countries working on her behalf. Prayers were requested through Christian organizations around the world.

A number of our seventh graders in Confirmation at St John Lutheran Church in Palmer, through the years, have prayed for Asia Bibi. At some time this past year, the Lord miraculously moved on the hearts and minds of the Pakistani justices, and Asia Bibi was acquitted by the Supreme Court in Pakistan and set free from the penalty for her alleged blasphemy — which was death.

But, there were such violent protests from Muslim radicals in the country who said if the justice system wouldn’t do it, THEY would kill her, that Asia Bibi had to remain in prison for her safety!

Today, I am so excited to share with you, that just this past week, Asia Bibi was finally able to get out of Pakistan and is now on her way to — or already — in Canada.

Thank you for your prayers, and praise God for his mercy and grace. Please continue to pray that this courageous Christian women will also be able to be reunited with her family soon.

Always trusting in Christ,

Mrs. Temple Christiansen

Life is complex and can seem overwhelming. But God gives us a simple call of grace. Our Heavenly Father loves us in Creation, and in the saving life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God calls us to believe His love and to live in faith and in love. God promises to help us through His word and worship, through the sacraments, and through prayer.

While this can seem overly simple, when God’s people answer His call we are not trusting our own faith, or our own worship, or our own prayers. We trust the One who created us with His spoken Word, who saved us in the gift of His Son, and who calls us each to follow Him. We trust the One who is more powerful and more wise than all the troubles or complexities of life.

I pray that you may face the trials and complications of your life with simple faith and love from God, and that you may see God answer your prayers!