Blizzards of Life
By: Kristen L. McNulty
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Have you ever been trapped in a blizzard? It's one of the worst feelings in the world. You're walking along and suddenly the wind picks up. The snow starts to swirl. And what was once crystal clear is all distorted.
You don't know where you are. You don't know how to get to where you are going. The only thing you can do is stay where you are and do your best to protect yourself from the elements.
Doesn't that sound kind of familiar when it comes to life? How many times are we walking through life, only to find ourselves suddenly trapped in a blizzard. We don't how to get from where we are to where we're going. We can't see anything around us clearly. The only thing we can do is sit in the snow, get covered up best as we can, and wait for Someone to rescue us.
Blizzards are scary. And yet how often do they come storming through our lives?
Naturally our response is to get up and find our own way in the storm, leaving us even more lost than we were in the first place. And this response is understandable because when the wind is howling to sit and wait requires great faith that Someone will find us where we are. And not only find us, but lead us to safety.
That means we find ourselves literally twiddling our thumbs, waiting for a rescue.
When life gets intense, this can be one of the hardest things we ever have to do. But if you've ever been stuck in a real blizzard, you know it's your only option.
So we sit. We wait. And we pray that God is out there somewhere and see's us in our desperation. And then something amazing happens.
No it might not be the same day. Month. Or year. But eventually we feel the presence that someone much greater than us in our storm. And with that presence comes assurance that even though the way out of the storm is way beyond our comprehension, He knows the way out. And He won't leave us in there a minute longer than necessary.
Psalm 40, verse 1 to 3 says:
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord."
Even in the most intense blizzards of life, God hears our cries. And when we patiently wait on Him, in His perfect timing, He lifts us out and puts our feet on solid ground. He steadies us as we walk along and He gives us a new song to sing. Where once we despaired, now we walk in confident expectation and hope. And then those around us start to take notice, and they too, start trusting in God.
Because God is more accurate than any GPS. More reliable than any navigation system. He knows the way out of even the most intense blizzard. And He does come to the rescue of those who call, and wait, on Him!
This devotional was aired as a part of the Making A Difference Christian Radio Show.