Troubles and the Christian life

I am saddened to hear of your situation, and I trust you are in contact with your pastor. He is in a position to serve you with God’s gospel in word and sacrament.

When troubles in life come along, Satan would like nothing more than for Christians to conclude that God is powerless and/or unloving. Job in the Old Testament could have wrongly reached that conclusion when he faced disasters in his life. In the midst of calamities—and at all other times of Job’s life—God remained all-powerful and all-loving. God did not love Job any less when his life became problem-filled. Job was simply unaware of God’s workings in his life and God’s purposes for his life when troubles came along. In your life and mine, God remains powerful and loving even when, and especially when, we face troubles and disappointments.

I would encourage you to remember your Baptism. Regardless of the message life’s circumstances might convey to you, Baptism tells you and me that we are God’s children (Galatians 3:26-27).

I encourage you to turn to Scripture to read about God’s faithful love for you (Isaiah 54:10; Hebrews 13:5). The God who speaks of his love for you cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). He always speaks the truth.

I encourage you to be a frequent guest at the Lord’s Supper to receive rest for your soul (Matthew 11:28) through the forgiveness of sins.

It is important to use God’s gospel in word and sacrament because that is what the Holy Spirit uses to bring the blessings of forgiveness and salvation into our lives. The gospel is also what the Holy Spirit uses to strengthen us for Christian living and to ward off the attacks of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-17). It is important to nourish and maintain Christian faith because the absence of it means eternal woes (Mark 16:16).

Again, do speak to your pastor and stay in regular contact with him. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). God bless you.