All the kids were loaded in my mini-van for a morning of errands when I heard lots of commotion coming from my 2-year-old. It soon became pretty clear that the mom voice and the mom looks weren’t enough and I needed to intervene so I pulled the van to the side of the road.
I could see immediately it was a bad move. The grassy shoulder was sloped and wet and the back of my van slowly slid into a ditch.
My kids were all safe in car seats and seat belts, though we were now tilting at a slight angle. I did what I knew to do: I called my husband.
He had a big truck but one of his clients had a bigger truck with a brand new winch he’d gotten for Christmas that he was itching to use. Within minutes, my husband and his friend arrived, hooked the winch to my van and, with the kids and I still safely belted in, pulled us effortlessly out of the ditch and back onto level ground.
Don’t you just love a good rescue?
When a friend recounted recently how her husband had stepped in to rescue her after she became overwhelmed by a project, my thoughts ran backward.
Oh how I miss that, I thought.
I cannot tell you the number of times I have wished a rescue was just a phone call away.
So often I’ve wished someone – Someone – would pull us out and set us back on level ground.
I know you don’t have to be a single mom to need a good rescue. The Bible gives us example after example of men and women needing a rescue — Joseph, David, Rahab, Daniel, Elijah, Esther, Ruth, and Job are just the short list.
Job had sure cried out for it and rightly so. He’d lost all of his wealth, all 10 of his children and then his own health, becoming covered from head to foot with painful sores.
That’s hard to even read, but here’s the kicker: Job was by all accounts a faithful man. Scripture says that he obeyed God and shunned evil.
But Job’s faith did not insulate him from the hard. That’s actually helpful for us to read.
To know that our hard comes through the hand of a good, good Father who is always, only perfect Love.
When the hard hits, the first thing we want is the way out. When will this end, our thoughts brood, and how?
Even in the midst of his deep loss and pain, Job knew how it would end.
“I know that my Redeemer lives…” Job declared, “And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.” Job 19:25-26
We have a rescue.
God may not pull us from the hard right away. While God promises His presence and provision in the hard, there may be lessons we can learn and character we develop only by walking through the difficulty.
God may not pull us from the hard at all. There may be battles we face all the way to heaven.
But we have a rescue.
We have a Rescuer who pulls us from a pit we could never get out of on our own. Not a temporary rescue from this scrape this time, but an eternal rescue.
Because my real need is not an end to the hard but a rescue from myself and the pit of my own sin.
“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered…Joel 2:32
“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son…” Colossians 1:13
The best kind of rescue.
Lisa, your messages always minister so deeply to my hurting heart. Thank you for the Word that brings hope! There are days when I think if my husband & all he did for me, like putting gas in the car, pulling up to the grocery on a rainy day & running in so my hair didn’t get wet, and many more…I thank the Lord for each time one comes to mind & then quietly ask Him to strengthen me through each moment onward to my new normal…blessings upon blessings to you this day. CR
I’m right there with you…thankful for those moments and hopeful toward all those God still has. <3
Thank you so much for this today. I have been crying and asking God, when? When is all this going to end? Thank you for the reminder that I must keep on keeping on and trusting God in all the bad and in the good. He lives and will always be with me!
Yes He will…and that makes the world of difference. <3
Lisa,
My first cry this morning came with your devotion. I’ve been thru so much the past two years, and now I face such uncertain future.
The pain and loss I’ve had cuts to the core, but your words make me focus on our God who is there for me.
I would love a rescue today… Maybe it will happen, maybe not, but my faith gets me thru another day.
Deborah, may you see God’s good hand all around you today.
You’re a great writer Lisa- beautiful post. Glad to be neighbors on the #RaRaLinkup this week. 💗
Thank you, Katie…it’s always a delight to see who will pop up in the feed once I post the link and I was happy to see you this morning!
We have a Rescuer ~ yes. Sometimes, Lisa, I wish the hard was gone ~ whatever that hard happens to be. But then growth and trust (in God) wouldn’t have their way. I’m slowly learning how to trust God through the hard. I’m glad you are too, encouraging the brigade of us. (And girl, if I had a winch, I’d drive right over and help when needed. But alas, I don’t have one and am pretty sure I’d wreck my van and yours trying to figure out its use! All this coming from a mechanic’s daughter…. lol) Have a beautiful day, friend.
I’m glad you know the correct way to spell winch, Kristi. 🙂 Oh the ways I need to be rescued!!
This post brought tears to my eyes, as I struggle with God allowing hard things in our lives, but you’re so right. We have already been given the most amazing eternal rescue of all! Thank you for your words.
Margo, it is at once startling and comforting that God *allows* the hard…but, yes, always right with God.
Love it………..was just thinking about the song…….RESCUE THE PERISHING…….this morning! That would be us eh!?! I need to say though that the word is ‘winch’ not ‘wench’………2 totally different things…….just sayin’………he he! God bless!
Oh Judy, now that I see your spelling, I see my mistake! I clearly don’t know my tools! I’ve corrected it. ::whew:: And I love that hymn as well. Blessings to you. 🙂
“When the hard hits, the first thing we want is the way out. When will this end, our thoughts brood, and how?” YES. I can totally relate to this Lisa. This is what my first response to pain and suffering used to be. But lately, God’s been teaching me that instead of looking for a way out right away, it’s so much better to trust and walk with Him through it to see what I might learn along the way. Thanks for this post, dear friend. Hugs!
Yes and yes. That’s a hard lesson to learn when you fresh out of the gates as you are Lauren, but a lesson that will bring such dividends in your life. <3
I started going through the hard September of last year and in started the really hard in May with the loss of my husband. Thank you so much for your encouraging words. You are appreciated.
Lisa, I love.” But Job’s faith did not insulate him from the hard.” That’ so true. No on can avoid the hard. The rain falls on the unrighteous and the righteous. But Jesus is always there to pick up our pieces. He rescued us once and for all.
xoxo
Thank you for this post. I needed this reassurance and encouragement. It’s hard when the “hard” has been going on for so long and it seems as if it will never end. Although I know He is my deliverer, my rescuer, and my tower of refuge and strength, your words spoke to my heart.
Praying for you, my friend.
Such great encouragement here, Lisa. Rescue is a great relief, but often there is even greater growth from enduring that steady climb out of the ditch knowing and choosing to believe that God is with us even still. Love you, friend.
This is such encouragement to my heart, sister. God’s provision and God’s presence. (And peace, that’s my third “p.”) May the Lord surround you with all three of these today and always.