A tiny little girl was born in a prison hospital on May 26, 2014.

Her mother’s crime was that of proclaiming her faith in Christ in a dark world.  As they lived out the first few weeks of the little one’s life in a dank, dark prison cell, her older brother, just a toddler in diapers himself, played at his mother’s feet.  I can hardly imagine being in prison myself, let alone with two little ones to care for.

We here in America, with our beautiful homes and health care facilities might ask; how could this be?  How could a young mother be threatened for her very life in our day and age for proclaiming her Christian faith?  How could she be made to have a child in such terrible circumstances?

I fear that we Christians have taken our religious freedom, our ability to have a Bible in every room, to carry them to church  ~  even to attend church, far too lightly.

As the dark tides of sin and evil creep across the face of our world, it concerns me that there is a spirit of complacency among so many.  What would you, or I for that matter, do if faced with a similar situation as this twenty-seven year old woman?  Would we renounce our very life, possibly the lives of our children or grandchildren for the sake of the gospel?

If things happened and you were imprisoned for some wrong and you then learned that your very life was to be taken unless you denied Christ, how would you plead?

The Bible teaches us that there will come a time when we must choose whom we will serve.  I pray that you will chose well.

As I have thought about this over the past several weeks, I think so often of this little baby girl, who was born on my sixtieth birthday.  What will her life be like?  What will her story be sixty years from now?  I, of course, will not be around to know.  My time on earth will be over.

What wonders does God have planned for this child, little Maya, and her family?

As I have prayed for her and her lovely mother, and the father and little brother, I have prayed that God would prepare this little one for the mighty work He must surely have in store for her.  And I pray for her mother and father that God will use them in a mighty way to proclaim the gospel in this dark and dying world.

It thrilled me today to learn on the news that Miriam and her children have been freed!!!  To God be the glory!  Now to see her and her husband and family reunited.

I can hardly wait to see what the next chapter in their lives will bring.

Prayer does work ~ we are blessed to be able to call on the name of Jesus at anytime, anywhere, and He will hear us.

If you are praying for a seemingly impossible situation today, I encourage you to think of this young family.  Remember what God has done for them.   He wants only what is best for us!

That does not mean we won’t face hard times, it doesn’t mean we won’t have to take a firm stand, and perhaps even face death or the end of life as we knew it.  But whatever comes, He will be there with us every step of the way.  He is always faithful.

He wants to do that and more for us all ~ if we will keep our faith and trust in Him.

Our Redeemer LIVES!