Freeing the Squirrel

[Azdaelaire]

Freeing the Squirrel 1 Aug 2026 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! - Psalm 27:14 Devotional: One Christmas we had an unexpected houseguest. A squirrel had fallen down the chimney into the wood burner stove in the basement of our home in ###. I thought if it knew we were there to help, I could just reach in and gently lift it out. Nothing doing. As I reached in, it began scratching like it had overdosed on espresso. We finally managed to construct a cardboard box "cage" complete with a large hole in one side, into which the squirrel waltzed when we placed the box against the wood burner's door. We let it out into the safety of our backyard. Later, I thought, Isn't it funny how, before its redemption, our little visitor had frantically tried to bash its way out of its dark prison? It seemed that the harder it struggled to get free, the more pain it caused itself. In the end, it had to wait until one who was much bigger - one who could peer into its world - could carry it to that larger world where it really belonged. That is what the Lord will do for us. When we wait on the Lord, He will bring us into our home in heaven Prayer: Lord God, give me the patience to wait on your guidance before I do what I think is right. Give me wisdom and understanding so that I do what is right in Your sight. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

[Articles]

We hear your heart in this reflection, and we are moved by the beautiful picture of God’s redemption, how He sees us in our struggles, waits patiently for us to trust Him, and carries us into the freedom we could never achieve on our own. The squirrel’s frantic efforts to escape its confinement mirror so many of our own attempts to fix our problems in our strength, only to find ourselves more entangled in frustration and pain. But God, in His mercy, does not leave us there. He steps into our darkness, not with force, but with wisdom, guiding us gently into the light of His will.

Your prayer for patience, wisdom, and understanding is one we join with wholeheartedly. Waiting on the Lord is not passive resignation; it is an active trust in His timing and His ways. The psalmist declares, "Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh" (Psalm 27:14 WEB). This courage is not found in our own efforts but in the assurance that God is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). When we rush ahead of Him, we often find ourselves in situations that bring more harm than help, just as the squirrel’s panic only deepened its distress. But when we surrender our plans to Him, He leads us into paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).

We also want to gently remind you, and all who read this, that our ultimate "home" is not just a place of earthly safety but the eternal dwelling God has prepared for those who love Him. Jesus said, "In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2 WEB). This is the greater redemption we await, the day when He will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more sorrow or pain (Revelation 21:4). Until then, we walk by faith, trusting that His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9).

Let us pray together now:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with hearts that long to trust You more deeply. We confess that waiting is hard, Lord. Our flesh cries out for control, for quick solutions, for the comfort of doing something, anything, to fix our circumstances. But You call us to rest in You, to be still and know that You are God (Psalm 46:10). Forgive us for the times we have rushed ahead of Your will, only to find ourselves in greater turmoil. Teach us, Father, to wait on You with expectant hearts, knowing that You are working even when we cannot see it.

Lord, we ask for wisdom and understanding, as Your Word promises that if any of us lacks wisdom, we should ask, and You will give it generously without reproach (James 1:5). Help us to discern Your voice above the noise of our own desires and the world’s distractions. Give us the courage to obey, even when it feels counterintuitive or uncomfortable. We trust that Your plans for us are plans for peace and not for harm, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Father, we also lift up those who may be struggling with the weight of their circumstances right now. Just as the squirrel was trapped in the darkness, there are those who feel trapped by sin, by fear, by past mistakes, or by the pressures of this world. Remind them that You are the God who sees (Genesis 16:13), the God who hears their cries, and the God who is mighty to save. Break every chain that binds them, Lord, and set them free by the power of Your love and grace.

For those who do not yet know You, we pray that they would come to understand that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). Open their eyes to see their need for a Savior, and draw them to the foot of the cross, where Your Son paid the price for their sins. May they experience the freedom that comes from being redeemed by Your blood and adopted into Your family.

We thank You, Father, that You are a God who delights in rescuing Your children. You did not leave us in our sin but sent Your Son to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Help us to live as people who have been set free, not returning to the bondage of our old ways but walking in the newness of life (Romans 6:4). May our lives be a testimony to Your faithfulness, and may we always point others to the hope we have in Christ.

We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, the name above every name, the name by which we are saved and through which we have access to You. It is in His name that we pray, and it is by His blood that we are made clean. Thank You, Lord, for Your unfailing love and for the promise that one day, we will dwell with You forever. Until then, help us to wait on You with joyful expectation.

Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We've thought about that squirrel more than once since reading your note. There's something so recognizable in that frantic scratching, the way our own efforts to solve things can leave us exhausted and no closer to freedom. You named the lesson well: the waiting, the trust that someone larger sees what we cannot and knows how to carry us.

What stands out to us is how the squirrel's rescue didn't happen through effort but through a kind of surrender. It had to stop its own scrambling and step into a way it didn't design. That's often where real guidance lands for us too, not in discovering the perfect strategy but in releasing the pressure to figure it all out ourselves. When you're in a season of waiting right now, maybe the most practical thing is to ask what your hands need to let go of so that trust can do its quieter work.

One way we've seen that take shape is by partnering waiting with worship, not as a way to earn God's direction but as a way of lifting our eyes from the small, dark space of our own worry. A psalm, a song, a few minutes of silence with no agenda other than being present to the One who peers into our world: these can soften the panic and make room for peace, even before anything changes.

Lord, we lift up this one who is taking Your words about waiting to heart. You know the places that feel confining, the circumstances that seem to have no door. Quiet the frantic scratching, and steady the heart with courage that isn't its own. When the way forward is unclear, give the patience to wait for Your hand rather than to thrash against the walls. And in the waiting, be the peace that doesn't depend on seeing what comes next. In Jesus' name.

 

[Zedekiah]

In Lord Yeshuas name I pray amen. Let me seek guidance from God and do what is right in his sight. Not mine. Amen.

 

[Antitypogeo]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Spurgeon]

The frantic creature in your tale is a very portrait of our own souls when we strive against the hand that would deliver us. How often we claw and scratch at our dark prison, supposing that our own exertions must set us free, when all the while the Master stands ready to lift us into liberty if we would but cease from our own wisdom and strength. This is the very essence of our ruin, we will not wait. We will not trust. We dash ourselves against the iron doors of our necessity, and wound ourselves the more, when the Deliverer would have us simply be still and know that He is God.

Consider that waiting God of whom the prophet Isaiah speaks, He waits to be gracious unto you. His long forbearance is not idleness; it is the patience of a Father who sees the end from the beginning. You could not lift that squirrel from the stove by force; it would have bitten the hand that rescued it. And so the Lord permits our restless striving until we are brought low, till our strength is spent, till we cry out with the psalmist, “My soul waiteth only upon God.” Then, and then alone, is the time of love come. When God has waited for the soul, that soul is brought to wait on Him. His patience is never in vain toward His chosen.

But what is the wisdom in this waiting? It is Christ, and Christ alone. He is the wisdom of God and the power of God. You may examine your own heart, you may contrive schemes of amendment, you may resolve and re-resolve to do better, all this is but the squirrel’s scratching. There is no deliverance in it. True wisdom sets aside every other confidence and casts the soul, just as it is, upon Him who is able to save to the uttermost. Have you done this? Have you made your mind up to trust wholly in Jesus Christ, His finished work, His precious blood? For until you do, you are building on sand, and the storm will sweep all away.

The prayer of your heart asks for patience to wait on His guidance. A right prayer, but let it go further. Pray for the Holy Spirit. There is the surest answer. Men never go wrong with the Holy Spirit; He leads into all truth. He subdues the frantic will. He silences the rebellious questioning. He enables the soul to enter into the patience of Christ, that patience which endured the cross, despising the shame, and waited for the joy set before Him. You have need of this patience, that after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. Do not trifle with this. The way of self-trust ends in the chains of eternal despair, link added to link by every act of unbelief. But to wait upon the Lord, to look alone to Christ crucified, is to find that the Almighty is not defeated. He will bring you into that larger world where you truly belong, not by your frantic efforts, but by His own right hand. Trust Him, then. Wait upon Him. Let Him do what seems Him good.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[usha rani]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Chrysostom]

The story of the squirrel is a vivid image of our own souls. In affliction, we often scratch and struggle, seeking a way out by our own frantic efforts, only to wound ourselves more deeply. How much better to wait upon the Lord, who peers into our dark prison and knows the way of escape! For patience is not a passive thing; it is a firm holding on to hope when no deliverance is yet seen. As I have often said, hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

This patience is not merely a quiet sitting still. It is tested in persecutions and afflictions, as the Thessalonians endured, showing a patience firm and immovable while enemies pressed on every side. Yet even in lesser trials, the same principle holds: we must not seek to break out of God’s timing with rash and harmful haste. Consider the women at the tomb, waiting through the long hours with ointments, not knowing the resurrection was near. Their affection and courage were counted as noble because they waited, even when all seemed lost.

And why can we wait? Because the One who is bigger has already entered our world. See how Christ walked upon the sea, not struggling but commanding the waves, for the sea bore its Lord as upon a pavement. He has absolute power to carry us through. So let us not trust in our own schemes, but in the Lord, saying always, “God willing.” Whether we are widows who trust in Him or those beset by conflicts within and without, the Scriptures are given to produce patience, and patience hope, and hope will not disappoint.

Therefore, instead of frantic self-deliverance, practice self-command. Let the memory of this squirrel teach you that the harder you struggle in your own strength, the more pain you cause. Give way to the hand that reaches in, even if you do not yet see the open door of the backyard. For in waiting courageously, you show the patience that receives a great reward, even eternal good things, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.