Over the weekend my wife and I stayed overnight with a little grandson while mom and dad enjoyed a quick getaway. When it was bedtime, we hoped Maclane would sleep quietly until morning, affording Grandma and Pop a good night’s rest. But Mac had other plans.
So in the wee a.m. hours when he started crying, we waited a few minutes, hoping he’d close his eyes and go back to baby dreamland. But his crying persisted, and soon it was a reenactment of many times when our daughters were young: We went to the rescue.
That’s what good parents and grandparents do. When little ones are in distress, we respond to offer help as needed. To ignore tiny pleas for assistance would be tantamount to child abuse.
Knowing how readily we react to the needs of our earthly children, despite our flaws and imperfections, underscores how much we can trust in our perfect Heavenly Father to answer the cries of His children.
Just this morning I was reading Psalm 30, in which King David makes these observations:
“O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me…. To you, O Lord, I called; to the Lord I called for mercy…. Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord, be my help. You turned my waiting into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:2-11).
Without question, these days many of God’s children are pleading for His intervention. As occurred last spring, tornadoes have devastated many parts of the country. Here the "tornado-proof” Tennessee Valley seems to have turned into a new “Tornado Alley.” Twisters struck less than a mile from where two of our daughters live; their homes were spared, but many residents’ homes were destroyed or severely damaged.
A good friend recently received disheartening news about the baby she is carrying. The uncertainty for the remainder of her pregnancy, and for the infant’s future, makes this a very difficult time for her, her husband and family.
Unemployment, health issues, financial struggles and family discord are among other concerns being presented to God in prayer by His followers. How will He respond?
As the scripture passage above and many others assure us – He will respond, often in ways that far surpass our expectations. In Jeremiah 33:3 the Lord promises, “Call on me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know.”
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