by Rev Douglas Brauner

Faith clings to the hope that good will come out of our struggles.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I’m privileged to be a part of an outreach program that is called Will’s Hope.

Our friends, Mark and Sarah Squire, have turned a personal tragedy into a life-changing mission for young men, and women, who deal with emotional, mental, and physical issues. These men, and women, did not ask to be born with these struggles, or to have accidents that have brought about these problems. However, they are a reality for them, and the world is often not supportive of them.

Will was Mark and Sarah’s son who died tragically. The hurt doesn’t go away, yet they have turned his death, and his life, into a powerful outreach to people like him.

Black Forest Regional Park, Black Forest Colorado

This picture is of another tragedy, and it depicts what God is doing following this catastrophic event. This picture is of life returning to where the Black Forest fire burned only a few years ago. These two young bucks were so engrossed in eating that they didn’t care that I stood only a few feet from them. They spent most of their time with their heads down, moving from one source of food to another.

The tragedy of this fire has turned to life for the creatures that call this place home.

[Joseph said to his brothers,] Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it. This was to keep many people alive, as he is doing now.
Genesis 50:20 God’s Word to the Nations

I’m not sure that Joseph saw this good as he was thrown in the pit, sold to Potiphar, or jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. It seems that most of the time we don’t see what God is doing until we have passed through the flames. Truth is, we might never see what he is doing.

Faith embraces much more than hoping we’ll get through the struggle. Faith embraces the hope that God will bring good out of the struggle.

That hope is based on faith, which clings to the tragedy of the cross, and the life that Jesus has given us through his death and resurrection.

May we never lose this hope.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado