“O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” (Isaiah 33:2, ESV)
In late February of 1934, New England was struck with one of the greatest blizzards on record. In Bridgeport, Connecticut, 28 inches of snow fell, pushed around by 35 mph winds. People and cars had to figure out how to navigate 6-foot-high snow drifts. New York was shut down for days. Rural areas went for a week or more without mail delivery, hospital access, or a way to get food.
During that storm, a family was caught out on a rural road. Their car, which slid around every corner, finally refused to budge from a snowbank on the side of the road. Fearing for their lives, Willie told his wife and young daughter to stay in the car while he went for help. His wife, Lauren, was frightened to death to see Willie leave for help. Still, she trusted Willie. He was a postal deliveryman with a rural route. He knew the area.
Ten minutes after Willie left, Lauren started feeling such fear that she started to shake. She pulled her daughter close, so they could keep warm. She used a blanket in the back seat to cover them. An hour later, snow blocked the exhaust, and the engine stopped running. Cold settled into the vehicle. Lauren knew their situation was extremely precarious. Still, she trusted Willie. Another hour passed, and Lauren began to question if Willie was alive. Were they going to die? What should she do? Thinking that maybe Willie couldn’t find help in the direction he went, Lauren thought of walking with her daughter in the opposite direction. She said a quiet prayer and prepared to leave the car when she heard a voice say, “Wait!”. Convinced Willie had returned, Lauren shouted his name, but only the howling of the wind was heard. Lauren reminded herself that Willie warned her to stay in the car. Lauren heeded the voice, trusted Willie, held her daughter tight, and began to sing church hymns.
Three hours after leaving the car, Willie returned with a plow truck. The plow truck driver was a good friend of Willie’s. That night, the plow helped rescue half a dozen people who were stranded on the road. Four people stranded on that road died that night, because they had left their cars and wandered the countryside blinded by the snow, looking for help. They froze to death. For years, Lauren shared the story of the ’34 blizzard with family and friends. She told them that waiting for Willie had saved their lives.
Because Lauren trusted Willie, it saved that family during the storm. Lauren knew her best chance for survival was to trust her husband. Many times, while waiting in that night, Lauren considered leaving only to remember Willie warning her to stay with the car. Trusting in her husband proved a lifesaver.
Waiting is a difficult thing to do. For impatient people, waiting can seem an eternity. In these days of fast food, instant messaging, and fast delivery service, people do not value the importance of waiting. Some things take time. You can’t grow a crop overnight. Surgery may require weeks of rehabilitation. Rebuilding after a storm can take weeks or years. An education can take decades. Impatience can wreck the best plans. Working too soon after surgery could cause permanent damage. Quitting high school to work at the family farm will stop most people from finishing a degree or finding a better-paying job. In the case of Lauren, impatience probably would have led to the death of her and her daughter. Sometimes, waiting can be your best option.
More than seventy-five times in the Bible, the reader is encouraged to “Wait upon the Lord”. Isaiah 30:18 reminds us that “the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” Lamentations 3:26 warns that “It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” James even warned his readers that they should “Be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.” (James 5:7, ESV). It is not uncommon for the Lord to require you to be patient, hold fast, keep strong, and wait for His direction. Even the song from the Byrds based on Ecclesiastes reminds the faithful that:
“To everything, turn, turn, turn
There is a season, turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep.”
You need to wait for God’s time if you want to do something right.
Our scripture for today is from the book of Isaiah. When it was written, the people of Israel and Judah were experiencing terrible upheavals in their world. Armies from Egypt, Persia, and Assyria had torn up much of the land in the Middle East. Wars waged for decades. Suffering was everywhere. Even the Temple in Jerusalem was left in ruins and burned. Faithful people suffered month after month, year after year. Through it all, the prophet Isaiah cried out in anguish, “O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” (Isaiah 33:2, ESV). Help from the Lord did come. The city of Jerusalem was reinhabited. The Temple was rebuilt. The walls of Jerusalem were fortified. God came through at the right time for God’s people. It just took some faithful “waiting on the Lord”.
Never forget that patience is a virtue. Waiting on the Lord is a sign of your faith. Your trust in God must include a willingness to wait on the Lord even if it is uncomfortable, even if it hurts. Do you have what it takes to “wait on the Lord”?
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, I look to you now. I look for Your Word to impart wisdom to my mind. I long to feel that strong connection to You. Be near me this day. Watch over my work. Let Your Holy Spirit direct my steps. May the Lord Jesus give me inspiration!
Our world is filled with beauty and wonder. The mountains display Your majesty. A clear night sky shows forth the awesome beauty of Your creation. Our earth is a good home, filled with plenty of food and potential. May the human race not squander its blessings, ignore its beauty, nor abuse the abundance of Your grace.
I am thankful for Your love. I do not deserve Your complete devotion to my salvation. I am not worthy of Your protective hand. I only wish I could give back more in honor of Your many blessings. Still, I praise Your actions on my behalf! I celebrate all those lives You have redeemed in grace!
Today, I pray for these people who need Your strength: ________________________ .
I pray for those who lack the courage to remain obedient to Your call. I pray for those who need healing. I pray for the innocent who suffer at the hands of manipulators and liars.
In honor of Jesus, I raise this prayer to You, Heavenly Father! With these words come my adoration! Amen.
During that storm, a family was caught out on a rural road. Their car, which slid around every corner, finally refused to budge from a snowbank on the side of the road. Fearing for their lives, Willie told his wife and young daughter to stay in the car while he went for help. His wife, Lauren, was frightened to death to see Willie leave for help. Still, she trusted Willie. He was a postal deliveryman with a rural route. He knew the area.
Ten minutes after Willie left, Lauren started feeling such fear that she started to shake. She pulled her daughter close, so they could keep warm. She used a blanket in the back seat to cover them. An hour later, snow blocked the exhaust, and the engine stopped running. Cold settled into the vehicle. Lauren knew their situation was extremely precarious. Still, she trusted Willie. Another hour passed, and Lauren began to question if Willie was alive. Were they going to die? What should she do? Thinking that maybe Willie couldn’t find help in the direction he went, Lauren thought of walking with her daughter in the opposite direction. She said a quiet prayer and prepared to leave the car when she heard a voice say, “Wait!”. Convinced Willie had returned, Lauren shouted his name, but only the howling of the wind was heard. Lauren reminded herself that Willie warned her to stay in the car. Lauren heeded the voice, trusted Willie, held her daughter tight, and began to sing church hymns.
Three hours after leaving the car, Willie returned with a plow truck. The plow truck driver was a good friend of Willie’s. That night, the plow helped rescue half a dozen people who were stranded on the road. Four people stranded on that road died that night, because they had left their cars and wandered the countryside blinded by the snow, looking for help. They froze to death. For years, Lauren shared the story of the ’34 blizzard with family and friends. She told them that waiting for Willie had saved their lives.
Because Lauren trusted Willie, it saved that family during the storm. Lauren knew her best chance for survival was to trust her husband. Many times, while waiting in that night, Lauren considered leaving only to remember Willie warning her to stay with the car. Trusting in her husband proved a lifesaver.
Waiting is a difficult thing to do. For impatient people, waiting can seem an eternity. In these days of fast food, instant messaging, and fast delivery service, people do not value the importance of waiting. Some things take time. You can’t grow a crop overnight. Surgery may require weeks of rehabilitation. Rebuilding after a storm can take weeks or years. An education can take decades. Impatience can wreck the best plans. Working too soon after surgery could cause permanent damage. Quitting high school to work at the family farm will stop most people from finishing a degree or finding a better-paying job. In the case of Lauren, impatience probably would have led to the death of her and her daughter. Sometimes, waiting can be your best option.
More than seventy-five times in the Bible, the reader is encouraged to “Wait upon the Lord”. Isaiah 30:18 reminds us that “the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” Lamentations 3:26 warns that “It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” James even warned his readers that they should “Be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.” (James 5:7, ESV). It is not uncommon for the Lord to require you to be patient, hold fast, keep strong, and wait for His direction. Even the song from the Byrds based on Ecclesiastes reminds the faithful that:
“To everything, turn, turn, turn
There is a season, turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep.”
You need to wait for God’s time if you want to do something right.
Our scripture for today is from the book of Isaiah. When it was written, the people of Israel and Judah were experiencing terrible upheavals in their world. Armies from Egypt, Persia, and Assyria had torn up much of the land in the Middle East. Wars waged for decades. Suffering was everywhere. Even the Temple in Jerusalem was left in ruins and burned. Faithful people suffered month after month, year after year. Through it all, the prophet Isaiah cried out in anguish, “O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” (Isaiah 33:2, ESV). Help from the Lord did come. The city of Jerusalem was reinhabited. The Temple was rebuilt. The walls of Jerusalem were fortified. God came through at the right time for God’s people. It just took some faithful “waiting on the Lord”.
Never forget that patience is a virtue. Waiting on the Lord is a sign of your faith. Your trust in God must include a willingness to wait on the Lord even if it is uncomfortable, even if it hurts. Do you have what it takes to “wait on the Lord”?
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father, I look to you now. I look for Your Word to impart wisdom to my mind. I long to feel that strong connection to You. Be near me this day. Watch over my work. Let Your Holy Spirit direct my steps. May the Lord Jesus give me inspiration!
Our world is filled with beauty and wonder. The mountains display Your majesty. A clear night sky shows forth the awesome beauty of Your creation. Our earth is a good home, filled with plenty of food and potential. May the human race not squander its blessings, ignore its beauty, nor abuse the abundance of Your grace.
I am thankful for Your love. I do not deserve Your complete devotion to my salvation. I am not worthy of Your protective hand. I only wish I could give back more in honor of Your many blessings. Still, I praise Your actions on my behalf! I celebrate all those lives You have redeemed in grace!
Today, I pray for these people who need Your strength: ________________________ .
I pray for those who lack the courage to remain obedient to Your call. I pray for those who need healing. I pray for the innocent who suffer at the hands of manipulators and liars.
In honor of Jesus, I raise this prayer to You, Heavenly Father! With these words come my adoration! Amen.