"Come And Worship"

December 16, 2009



And he (King Herod) sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found Him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him." Matthew 2:8



Pastor Klaus wrote this devotion before he left to lead a seminar in Germany. He prays God's blessings upon your Advent and requests your prayers for his safe return.

Look in on Herod's audience with the wise men. It's a study in contrasts.

You have the magi who had traveled a long distance to find the Savior and a king who simply couldn't be bothered. There are men who wish to worship the Christ Child and a king who wanted to kill Him. The list of dissimilarities goes on and on.

People have always reacted differently to the Savior and to His birth. At our house, the crèche is left up year round and in July Christmas carols are played on the stereo. Of course, we know it's not that way for everyone.

Some years ago, a survey asked people if they were looking forward to Christmas. While most answered, "Yes," far too many said, "No."

When pressed for an explanation, the "no" folks said things like this:

· "Christmas reminds us of things that ought to be, but are not."
· "Christmas is a time of love, but we feel very unloved."
· "Christmas is a time of giving, but we don't want to give, or can't afford to give."
· "Christmas is a family time, but there is anger and hostility within our family circles."

There is no question that those folks have some serious reasons for their sadness. On the other hand, it just might be they've been let down because the celebration of the Savior's birth has been moved down on their priority list.

If these folks looked for the Savior first -- if they saw the forgiveness He wins and the joy He bestows -- it just might be they would find the rest of the items on their list.

That is not just wishful thinking on my part.

Those who know Jesus find many things in their lives have been modified. They know they are loved; they see God's gifts, and the family time of Christmas is made larger by their new family of faith.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, this year among all the wishes and prayers, I ask this to be added to the list: may people be brought to see the Savior who changes the world, our lives, and our celebrations. May they see the Babe of Bethlehem, the Christ of the cross, and the Savior of the empty tomb. May they see and believe. In Jesus' Name. Amen.



In Christ I remain His servant and yours,



Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Hope"

December 17, 2009



May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13



Pastor Klaus wrote this devotion before he left to lead a seminar in Germany. He prays God's blessings upon your Advent and requests your prayers for his safe return.

My chess career can be summed up in four words:

I lost. A lot.

It was about a year ago that a pastor from Canada sent me the story from which this Daily Devotion is derived. It begins with a chess champion looking intently at an art gallery painting.

The champion was interested because the theme of the painting was (you guessed it) chess. More specifically, the painting showed a chess match between a young man and the devil. It seems the two were playing for the man's soul.

If the faces in the picture could be believed, the man was in a panic as the devil makes his final move.

The title of the painting was "Checkmate."

The chess champion looked at the picture for a solid minute, then two, then five. Finally, he turned to the curator of the art institute and said, "I've got some good news for the man in the picture. He still has a move to make."

From what I've seen, there are a lot of people who feel life is a hopeless thing. They feel afraid, discouraged, alone. The devil has convinced them there's no more moves to be made.

But that is not so.

The grand and long-anticipated birth of the Savior in Bethlehem says the devil doesn't get the last move. Indeed, the crucifixion and resurrection of the Savior say the devil has already lost.

Of course, some folks don't believe it, and the devil's certainly not going to come clean and get honest. He's not going to confess he's lost.

That's our job. To invite the world to go and see this thing which has come to pass which the Lord has told us about.

They're out there, you know -- the lost. Won't you invite them? The worst they can do is say, "Mind your own business."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we know Satan is the father of lies. Why then do we listen so carefully when he tells us we've lost? Why do we believe the doubters and the discouragers and the cynics? Please, I ask, shore up my faith when it gets shaky and allow me to witness clearly to the wonders of Your Love. In Jesus' Name. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

December 18, 2009



(Jesus said) "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:37-38



Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour



As a teenager I remember having a strong sense of justice -- so much so that I became a police officer. Some said I wanted to help people find justice for the unjust things others did to them. But for me it was really more about preventing others from doing wrong. My motto was, "If I am not allowed to break the law, then neither are you."

But, in my many years as a police officer, I often felt the justice system was letting victims down and allowing criminals to get away. Justice in the world is often not fair. Like so many people, I often judged others while letting myself slide.

Then I became a pastor. In some ways it became even worse. Now I no longer had the power to arrest, and I could not go around handing out justice when and where I thought it was needed. Still, in other ways, things have gotten a lot better though because now I know God's justice far surpasses our feeble human attempt at it.

God's justice is different from what I wanted. I wanted those who broke the law to be punished. If that meant I had to punish them, then so be it. I wanted the speeding taxi, the dishonest businessman, and the guy who had parked his car illegally to be caught and punished each and every time. I wanted swift and complete justice for any and all offenders.

God, however, wants those who have broken His Law to be forgiven. He does not excuse the sinner's behavior, nor will they get away with their sins. All sins have to be paid for, but He does not want sinners to pay for their sins with their lives. Jesus, the Son of God, died on the cross to pay for our sins and was raised again to show that this payment was accepted. God's justice is different from ours. His is all about grace, about wanting the best for the sinner. Our justice is all about the law and wanting the best for us.

Today, I sincerely try to measure out justice to others in the same way God has done with me. He has given me grace, forgiven my sins, and turned my heart to see that the measure I should use with all people is the Gospel. Out of love He has saved me and His desire is that all be saved.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for the forgiveness -- and not the judgment - we have through what Jesus has done for us. Help us to share that love with others. Amen.

Biography of Author: Pastor Josef Henning wrote this devotion. In 2002 he became pastor at the English Lutheran Fellowship of Randburg, South Africa. He and his wife, Birgit, have three children. Lutheran Hour Ministries-South Africa with its office in Johannesburg utilizes Equipping the Saints (ETS), Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), and a performing arts program to reach others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.

"Our Hope"

December 19, 2009



. . . Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God. Psalm 42:5b



For many people, Christmas is a wonderful time.

But there are others for whom the celebration of the Savior's birth is filled with plans uncompleted and intentions unrealized. That's the way it was the first year Christmas was celebrated in the Western Hemisphere.

Christopher Columbus, having rediscovered the New World, planned a festive Christmas celebration for his three ships.

Those plans were set aside when the Santa Maria was wrecked off the coast of Haiti. Rather than celebrating, Columbus and his men were forced to build a fort for the 40 men who could not be taken back to Spain aboard his two smaller ships.

They called the fort: "La Natividad," the Spanish word for nativity.

The best the men could do was pause a moment in their emergency work to utter a Christmas prayer and a word of thanks.

Columbus returned from Spain in the fall of 1493. His first order of business was to find La Natividad and the men he had left behind. Sadly, they had all disappeared without a trace, and all that was left of the fort were a few timbers.

All of us at Lutheran Hour Ministries and the Klaus Haus pray that this Christmas will be a most blessed one for you. It is our hope your celebration of the Savior's birth will not be marked or marred by the unpleasantries, which sin -- and Satan -- like to inflict.

Still, we know there are those who will -- because of financial situations, health problems, family difficulties, and for a host of other causes -- find their Christmas plans changed.

If that describes your situation or your Christmas this year, please remember this: 2,000 years ago the Lord Jesus was born into an imperfect world, a world of sadness, sorrow, and sin. Jesus came into the midst of our mess to change it, reclaim it, and save us.

Jesus comes to the midst of our messes, and He can transform those messes. He can bring good out of bad and hope out of sadness.


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"



THE PRAYER: Dear precious Lord, because of Your birth, Your life, Your death, and Your resurrection our sins are forgiven and our sadness and sorrow can be transformed. Today I pray for those whose Christmas has been touched by the wretchedness of the world. Send Your Holy Spirit to watch over and strengthen these folks. For them I pray, doing so in Your Name. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Christmas Celebrations"

December 20, 2009



But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5



Back in the early 1700s, when the United States wasn't, and what was, was known as "the colonies," the settlers in Williamsburg, Virginia, celebrated Christmas.

But they did their festivities without many of the customs you and I take for granted.
So, what were some of the things they were missing?

First, there was no Santa, sleigh, reindeer, or elves. That's because Santa was primarily and, note I say, primarily, a Dutch tradition.

The settlers didn't decorate their Christmas trees because they didn't have them. Christmas trees, a German custom, hadn't yet shown up in that community.

The colonists set out no nativity manger scene -- a tradition that originates in Italy -- and the idea of hanging your stockings by the chimney with care -- well, that's an American idea that would come much later.

So what did those settlers from long ago do to celebrate Christmas? Simple, they set off fireworks and shot off cannons. Their Christmas may not have looked like your Christmas, but nobody -- and I mean nobody -- would have been able to miss the celebration.

This coming Christmas Day, as you look around your neighborhood, you will see many different ways of celebrating the birth of the Savior.

Some folks will make merry by hanging a multitude of lights on their house; others will mark Christmas with family visits, and yet others will have an un-celebration filled with untoward and improper partying.

In all probability your merriment will not involve the use of fireworks and cannons, although I am sure, somewhere that form of festivity is still commonplace.

No matter how you celebrate this week, I pray the Savior's birth is the central focus of your festivities. After all, it is His birth we remember. It is His life, which was given as the ransom necessary to save ours. Please, give thanks for the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem, the Christ of the cross, and the Savior of the empty tomb.


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"



THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, may the celebration of Your birth include You. Your earthly ministry is that which saves our souls. Beginning in Bethlehem, Your work took You to a cross and empty tomb. May we give thanks for You -- You who are God's great and gracious Gift. In Your Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Bah Humbug #1"

December 21, 2009



Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18



SPOILER ALERT - Parents with small children may wish to evaluate this devotion before sharing it with all age groups.

The beginning part of this week we're looking at some folks who seem to have missed both the secular and the Christian spirit of the Savior's birth.

Carole Slotterback, professor of psychology at the University of Scranton, is not one of those people. On the other hand, her habit of reading letters has introduced her to some who are.

You see, Slotterback reads letters that have been sent to Santa. For five years she read and analyzed 1,200 letters written to the jolly old saint.

The letters were composed on all types of paper, written and printed in all colors of ink and crayon. Some of the children decorated their letters with pictures, and many gave Santa information he really didn't need. As a precaution, let me say this: parents, if your children write to Santa, you ought to make sure they don't send addresses, photographs, cell phone, and home phone numbers.

As to the results, Slotterback says she was touched by many of the letters. I think most of us would have joined her in shedding a tear after reading the request that asked Santa to bring a mommy to a family.

In her study, Slotterback also noted there were some themes that ran through many of the letters from the little ones.

Some of those themes come as no surprise to most adults. I don't think many of you would be terribly shocked to find most of the children were definite in saying that Santa should not bring them any clothes!

There is another theme; however, another trait running through many of these letters. High on that list would be this: most of the children aren't as polite as they ought to be. As Slotterback puts it, "you'd think if you were asking for a lot of presents, you would throw in a 'please' or a 'thank you.'"

Slotterback is right. The children ought to be thankful.

Of course, it's not just children who are sometimes remiss in offering proper thanksgiving for God's manifold gifts. That sin is definitely part of human nature and the fallen human condition.

Now you know where this devotion is going, don't you? Even so, I encourage you to remind the children and grandchildren to say thanks for all they have been given. Let us encourage each other to give thanks for God's greatest gift: the Savior Christ the Lord.

And the greatest and easiest way to show that thanks is to worship the Christ. In our hymns, in our feasting, in our presents, in our prayers, in our church attendance, let's show the children and the unbelieving world the thanksgiving we have for a Redeemer who was born to give His life as a ransom -- a ransom to rescue us.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, although I ask it always, especially this Christmas week, I pray You will create a thankful heart within me. Grateful for Your grace as delivered in the person of Your Son, may I show to all, especially the children, the impact of the salvation that is given in Jesus' Name. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Bah Humbug #2"

December 22, 2009



Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12:17-18



The beginning part of this week we're looking at some of those sorry folks who have developed a Scrooged attitude toward Christmas.

One such person was the fellow who pushed down an unemployed Salvation Army bell ringer in Ohio.

Do you think that's bad? Wait! There's more. When he pushed her down, the man said, "I can't stand you and your bell-ringing. I hate Christmas!"

Hang on. The story's not over.

The man showed just how much he hated Christmas and bell ringers. Yes, it's true. His hatred was so strong he took the woman's kettle, threw it in the back of a stolen pickup truck, and drove away.

A quick-thinking observer recorded the pickup's license of the man who hated bell ringers.

The next day police arrested Shawn Krieger of Toledo and charged him with robbery. Apparently, the man who hated bell ringers didn't hate their money. The kettle which was estimated to have somewhere between $500 and $700 when taken, was now absolutely -- totally -- empty.

I'd love to say this man is unique. He isn't.

There are many people (I'm speaking of some retailers here) who don't like Jesus, who don't believe in Him, who refuse the salvation He has won for them, who actually hate the Savior and all He has done. No, they can't stand Jesus and Christmas.

But they have no problem taking money from those who love the Savior and wish to celebrate His birth.

So, what can we do for those folks?

Various suggestions have been put forth. Some say, ignore these contemporary Scrooges, or picket their stores, or boycott their products, or throw a scathing "Merry Christmas" at them if we have to buy from them.

Me? I'm of the opinion the best thing we can do is pray for these folks. We should set an example of Christian kindness for those who refuse to see the compassion of the Christ and the sacrifice the Savior has made for their salvation.

We should pray for them, asking the Holy Spirit to keep trying to win them. Why? Because -- because just as Krieger will have his day in court, these people will someday stand before the divine Judge. On that day we want them going the right way; we want them to have faith in Jesus.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that this Christmas week the Holy Spirit has brought me to the manger to see the Savior who is good news of great joy. Now I pray that others -- the doubters, the deniers, and the skeptics -- may join me there to see the Savior whose life is given to win our salvation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,



Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Bah, Humbug #3"

December 23, 2009



(Jesus said) "Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My Word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of My Name, because they do not know Him who sent Me." John 15:20-21



There is any number of Scrooge-like candidates we could include in our devotions this week. We could point to the Chinese government, which has shut down some of the largest underground house churches in the country. We could refer to the leadership of various chain stores who limit the responses their staff can make to a customer's, "Merry Christmas!"

The subject of this devotion is the principal of Bellview Elementary School in Ashland, Oregon. Although the Supreme Court allows Christmas trees, the principal believes Christmas trees and Santas are religious symbols and must be banished from the corridors and rooms of her school.

The logic goes like this: Somebody might look at the Christmas tree or Santa Claus and they may consider these things religious and possibly be offended.

Wow! That's a lot of mights and mays and possiblys.

In the spirit of being consistent, I wonder if the principal is going to banish Valentine's Day or Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Martin Luther King was a preacher, you know). She has to get rid of Halloween, which is holy to the Wiccans. What is the principal going to do with Thanksgiving Day? There's no point in having Thanksgiving Day if you've got nobody to be thankful to.

I wonder if the principal is going to show up for work on December 25th. Consistency demands the national holiday Christmas not be celebrated and, as long as the principal is showing up, there had better be a rule saying the teachers and students should show up, too. Don't want to give anybody the wrong impression by celebrating Christmas.

There is no doubt in my mind the principal is trying to do the right thing, the proper thing, and the politically correct thing. Sadly, it's the wrong thing to do.

Far better to join the shepherds, to join us at the Bethlehem manger and see this thing, which has come to pass, which the Lord has told us about -- far better to see the Savior, Christ the Lord.

If the principal looks, if she really looks with the eyes of faith given by the Holy Spirit, she will see the greatness of God's grace, the joy that comes in seeing the Savior who will give Himself so we could be saved.

If that day comes, Jesus will not be banished; He will be welcomed as the Redeemer.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord I pray the Holy Spirit will be especially active in the lives of those who think they're doing the right thing when they, in the name of political correctness, try to banish the Savior. May they see the Christ, trust Him, and be brought to faith in Him. This I ask in the Name of my Savior, Jesus. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Was It Worth It?"

December 24, 2009



(Jesus said) . . . "even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28



Jennifer Lee and her husband, Keith, went into the mountains of Oregon to cut down a Christmas tree for their family.

They went prepared. They had a GPS, an all-wheel drive Subaru, and they had their phones.

They were prepared for almost anything, except for running into a snowdrift that just about buried their vehicle. When Keith tried to rock the car out of the ditch, he failed. Every time he rocked the vehicle, it moved closer to a cliff.

Out of cell phone range and not being able to get their car free, Jennifer and Keith became concerned. Nobody knew exactly where to find them. Nobody knew where to begin looking.

For days, Keith and Jennifer Lee waited and hoped for rescue. Finally, Keith had a new idea and freed the vehicle. In a short time, he and his wife were reunited with the kids. Speaking about her ordeal, Jennifer said, "What were we thinking? $30 for a Christmas tree? Just pay the $30 and be done with it."

She concluded, "$30 wasn't worth our life."

I would agree with Jennifer's evaluation of her value. She is worth more than $30 -- the price of a Christmas tree.

Having said that, I would also agree the life of Jesus Christ was worth more, far more than the 30 pieces of silver Judas got from the religious authorities.

"How much more?" Is that what I hear you asking? How much more was Jesus worth?

I don't know. Look into the manger and see the Son of God. Listen to Him as He preaches; watch as He does His miracles. Stand and watch as He was betrayed by one of His disciples; watch as He was beaten, railroaded to His death. What is that worth to you? What is it worth that Jesus carried your sins, that Jesus died so you might live, that He rose from the dead to show all who would see the grave had been defeated.

What is that worth? Look into the manger and see how much God loves you.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You left Your home so I might have a heavenly mansion. You carried my sin so I might be declared innocent; You gave Your life so I might live forever. I cannot put a value on such love. All I can do is offer thanks that Christ the Savior has been born. In His Name. Amen.



In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

EZ in John 3 it say, Ye must be born again. How did that happen to you?

"A Bond Of Love"

December 25, 2009



To You, O LORD, I cry; and to the Lord I plead for mercy. Psalm 30:8



Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour



When a child needs food or drink, or even just a hug, he turns to his parents. He has total confidence his mother or father will take care of him. There is a love bond that unites them.

What do you do when you need something? You probably ask someone for it. Is there anyone in whom you have total confidence to fulfill your requests?

Our Heavenly Father created us with a bond of love. Though we were separated from Him as a result of our sin, He sent His Son, Jesus, to bring us back. This Christmas Day let us remember the riches of God's grace toward fallen man at the expense of His beloved Son. Though we were dead in our sins, completely corrupt and at enmity with God, He ransomed us and, through His Spirit, makes us into new creations. Through Jesus' death and resurrection we have assurance of God's love for us, and we can respond by sharing that love with others.

That bond of love gives us confidence to know that God hears us when we call out to Him. He responds to our urgent requests and our desperate pleas for mercy. He holds us in His hands, and He will never let us go.

THE PRAYER: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the precious gift of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Biography of Author: Danila Ines Sturtz wrote this devotion. In Paraguay, she is coordinator of a Bible school, a leader of confirmands, and serves as secretary of the ladies league. Lutheran Hour Ministries-Paraguay operates as Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones within this South American country and is active in radio programming, door-to-door ministry, and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) designed for both children and adults.


To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.




Pastor Klaus returns
again tomorrow.

Indeed it does CAROL :)

I was "born again" by the power of God's Word and promise, through the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirt made possible by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As you can see...I didn't do anything...God did it all for me :carrot:

"A Loyal Friend"

December 26, 2009



A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24



Friends and family move away, pass away, and a few just forget us.

Indeed, it's a rare individual who has a friend so close their loyalty is a given and faithfulness something which can be counted on.

Such a loyal, faithful friend was Hachi.

Let me tell you about Hachi. Hachi was a dog that lived in Japan and went to the railroad station with his master each morning and then greeted him each evening.

That's the way things remained until one night in 1925 when Hachi's master died while he was away in another town. Still, his owner's passing didn't stop Hachi.

Every night, for more than 10 years, Hachi went to the train station. There he would wait for an hour and then, slowly, sadly, he would return home.

Hachi's loyalty impressed the nation of Japan. The government erected a statue of the dog on the spot where Hachi had waited. It also sent small statues of the dog to all the schools in the country.

This the government did because it knew Hachi's kind of loyalty is a hard thing to come by.

Indeed, a person can go his entire life without ever finding a friend so faithful.

Of course, as a Christian, you don't have to look very far, do you? Yesterday, we celebrated the birth of God's Son, our Savior. Jesus' Bethlehem arrival was the beginning of an earthy ministry that would take the Christ to betrayal, rejection, misunderstanding, false arrest, and crucifixion. All this Jesus would endure so we might be forgiven and saved.

Now, today, the risen Lord continues to show His faithfulness to His people. He stands at the ready -- ready to hear our prayers -- ready to carry our burdens -- ready to take us home when our lives are over. Jesus continues to keep His promise to be with us always.

It's something worth remembering the day after Christmas.


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"



THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for being there, for watching, protecting, guiding, loving, saving, You have my gratitude. May I go forward in faith and tell the world of my Savior. In Jesus' Name. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"A Different Mommy"

December 27, 2009



Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7



On a cold Chicago night, four-year-old Barbara climbed onto her father's lap and asked, "Daddy, why isn't my Mommy just like everybody else's mommy?"

Bob May stole a glance across his shabby two-room apartment. On the couch lay his wife, Evelyn, racked with cancer. For two years she had been bedridden and all Bob's income had gone to paying for her treatment.

How do you explain cancer, poverty, and differences to a child?

A copywriter for Montgomery Ward, Bob was deep in debt and depressed. Even so, that night he held his daughter near. Then, before he began, Bob prayed, he asked God to give him the words to answer his little girl's question. God gave Bob those words. This is how they came:

"Once upon a time there was a reindeer named Rudolph, the only reindeer in the world that had a big red nose. Naturally, people called him, Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer."

As Bob went on, he tried to share with little Barbara the knowledge that, even though some people and things are different, God has a purpose for them.

Bob's story continued: Rudolph and his family were embarrassed by his condition, and others laughed at him. Even so, the time came when Rudolph was called upon to be the point-reindeer for Santa's sleigh. And so it happened Rudolph became the most famous and beloved of all the reindeer.

When Bob was finished, his daughter laughed. Every night Barbara asked for the story to be retold and every night the father repeated the tale of Rudolph.

Eventually, Bob's wife died. And once again, Bob turned to God for help. Sitting at his desk in his lonely apartment he worked on "Rudolph." Through his tears, he worked at making the story into a poem, a Christmas gift for his daughter.

Barbara loved that story. So did the folks at Montgomery Ward. In 1938 Bob was asked to an employee's Christmas party. He took his poem and read it. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Just thought you might want to know how the Lord brought about one of our non-Biblical Christmas traditions.


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"



THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for those who are in pain, may the Savior bring peace. For those who are lost, may He bestow direction and guidance. For all needs may You provide the proper and appropriate answer. In Jesus' Name. Amen.



In Christ I remain His servant and yours,



Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

Just in case anyone comes here....I have not forgotten to post the Daily Devotion...the site is just down at the moment...

Blessings for all....