I took my troubles to the Lord;
I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
Psalm 120:1 NLT
I suspect that there are ants permanently living under my floor. I ignore them as long as they stay under, but from time to time, they find their way up.
This time, my first clue was ants swarming the mostly empty coffee cup I’d left by my bed. Those ants died a watery death in the kitchen sink. But the next morning I found ants swarming the water glass beside my bed – that I’d been sipping from all night! Yuck!
“Lord, help me? What should I do?” And the thought came: “Ant Traps.” (Thank You, Lord.) Much calmer, I went to the nearest hardware store.
And remembered something from years ago.
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When I was a young mother with a new baby and a husband who worked evenings, I started getting a series of obscene phone calls when I was alone. I don’t remember whether I told my husband or not, but I remember being terrified. There was no caller ID, no way I knew to stop the calls.
Finally, one evening as I hung up, I prayed. “Lord, what should I do?”
The thought came: Pray for him. Not what I expected, nor what I wanted. But … what did I have to lose?
I prayed. I prayed for the unknown man who clearly had his own problems. I prayed that God would touch him. In spite of my anger and fear, I prayed.
I never again had another obscene call. (Thank You, Lord!)
How do I explain it? I can’t. I can only tell you what happened. And in the remembering, glorify God.
Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory.”
Psalm 50:15 NLT
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I am not the same person as I was then. Much older and, I hope, some wiser, and with years of faith-walk behind me, I can follow instructions without demanding instant results. So, I watch the ants as they feast on their “treats.” They are not gone yet, but I look forward to the time when there are no ants living under my floor. Because,
My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
This I know: God is on my side!
Psalm 56:9 NLT