It was an unusually nasty night. The wind was howling the rain was pounding on the roof; the weather had turned to freezing. It was 3:30 a.m. and “Lady” had to “go” outside. With great hesitation I opened the door and discovered a small Shih Tzu gazing upward into my eyes.

Her markings were stunning: grey, tan, white - even brown stripes on her ears. She “bumped” my ankle with her nose, began to wag her tail, looked steadfastly into my eyes and then bowed - as if pleading for her life.
After carefully examining her we realized that she had been abused and abandoned. Covered with dirt, fleas and ticks, she needed a home. However, Mary and I had agreed that as long as Lady lived there would not be another dog allowed. Without saying a word, she used her pleading eyes and wagging tail to “force” her way into our lives. Bella overturned our rule,

After a few weeks she became “overly” attached to me. Constantly resting at my feet, standing patiently at the door when I leave, quietly waiting for me to make a move so she can join me, it is as though she cannot live life without me. I am her “rescuer and provider.”

Hear wisdom speak: “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my door, waiting at my doorway.”

Bella is a constant reminder of those three very important words: listening, watching and waiting. May God give us no peace until we look only unto Him!

Prayer:  Father, May we learn to depend only on You as the way, the truth and the source of life each moment. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today:  Proverbs 8:34 Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

A radio talk show host in California once asked his listeners a troubling question. “What,” he asked, “would you do with the rest of today if you knew it was the last day you had to live?”

Immediately they responded. “I would go to an organ donor bank as soon as possible and donate all of my organs to help others who were dying,” said the first caller.

The second one said, “I’d cram as many daring and exciting things as possible in my remaining few hours. I would take every risk since it wouldn’t matter if I lived or died. I’d have fun.”

“I’d call my wife and children and tell them that I loved them very much and ask them if they needed anything from me before I died,” said the third caller.

The fourth caller said, “I’d begin reading my Bible and make sure my heart was right with God before I meet Him. I want everything to be O.K. before we meet.”

Each of us has a date with death. We do not know the day or the hour of that final day when our heart will stop beating. The Psalmist reminded us of this fact when he wrote, “How long must your servant wait?” However, no date or hour was revealed. He received no answer.

Whether we have one day or many days is known only to God. He alone has that number in His Book of Life and He is responsible for the number of days we will live.

But each of us is responsible for making certain that our hearts are right with God before that date arrives. In between “now and then” we are to live each day for Him.

Prayer:  Help us, Father, to recognize the uncertainties of life and the certainty of death and make all things right. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 119:84a How long must your servant wait?

A pastor decided to change the order of service. He convinced himself that his congregation was bored and disinterested in his messages because they had been following the same format for several years.

For years the ushers would take up the offering, the choir would sing and then he would preach. To “mix” things up he decided that he would have the choir sing, then he would preach and the ushers would take up the offering at the close of the service.

Little Janie sat quietly through a particularly boring message. Finally, realizing that something was different she whispered to her Mom, “Do you think if we paid him now he would quit?”

Waiting is often difficult. We pray from a deep reservoir of faith believing that God is anxiously waiting to hear and answer our prayers. Sometimes the answers come quickly. Other times we do not understand the delay and lose heart and hope. We may even wonder if God is deaf to our requests.

Sometimes physicians give us a prescription with a bit of advice: “Now I assure you that this medication will work. But you are going to have to wait a few days before you are relieved of all of your symptoms. Be patient.”

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him,” said David. He was able to rest in God because of God’s faithfulness to him in the past. He had been deeply disappointed by many others but never by his Lord who always protected and defended him.

Prayer: Help us, Father, to be patient as we wait on You to answer our prayers. May our hope equal our need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 62:5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.