An encouraging word from Pastor Ken Klaus

What do you do when things don't look so good?

Years ago, a young man by the name of Morris Frank lost his eyesight in an accident. Specialists informed him that he would never see again. Social workers instructed him, "Learn Braille, stay at home, accept the fact that you will be dependent on others for the rest of your life."

That didn't sound like the kind of life Morris wanted to live. He put all he had into regaining his independence. The end result of his work was the development of The Seeing Eye. You may not know the name, but that's the organization that trains seeing-eye dogs for the blind.

I'm sure Morris didn't imagine that outcome when he first received the diagnosis, though.

We all face tough times in our lives. As a pastor and Speaker of The Lutheran Hour^®, folks have shared stories of their trials with me. As Jesus said, in this world we will have tribulation. But the good news is this: He walks right there beside you.

Moses had challenges. God planned to use him to deliver His people from centuries of bondage. But if Moses' early contemporaries looked at his life, I wonder how impressed they would have been by what they saw.

In the first chapters of Exodus, things didn't look so good for Moses. As a Hebrew baby, he faced persecution. A would-be deliverer, Moses killed an Egyptian in defense of a Hebrew. The next day, when Moses tried to facilitate peace, a Hebrew scoffed and dismissed him.

And the list goes on: Pharaoh placed a death warrant on Moses' head; Moses spent decades in hiding; and by his own admission, Moses was slow of speech. In fact, when God used a burning bush to speak to him, Moses counted off his weaknesses - the things he felt disqualified him from service.

Can you relate to the man Moses? Do you face fear, or physical limitation, or a situation beyond your control?

Flip the Bible ahead a few pages and suddenly we see a different picture: Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt; the Red Sea parted and people crossing on dry land; water flowing from a rock; and Moses' face shining from God's glory. His circumstances changed dramatically.

So what happened to Moses in between these Bible pages?

Simply put, Moses trusted God. The point came where Moses believed God, took a step of obedience by facing the people and confronting Pharaoh - and he kept on stepping forward. Trusting God became a lifestyle for Moses. Meanwhile, God sorted out the bitter circumstances.

I don't know what you're dealing with as you read this, but I'd like to encourage you: God sees your tribulation - and He also sees the end of that tribulation. Keep putting your trust in Him and keep stepping forward in life, because you have a Savior who walks with you and comforts you. Things may feel rough today, but He's already figured out your tomorrows.

From my heart - and on behalf of those who will hear the Good News because of your generosity - thank you for your faithful giving to Lutheran Hour Ministries.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour