The Men of Iron Minute

by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation

What Does it Mean to Wait on the Lord?

Mikey, an eight-year-old boy, and his dad decide to go on a hike in the Adirondacks. Sure to be a memorable experience, they planned a day hike of 6 hours or so with a nice streamside picnic along the trail. The backpacks were loaded with “necessary” snacks and the boy’s favorite, PB & J, with crunchy Peanut Butter.

They have a flat tire on the way to the trailhead, but they are undeterred. A little late, the boy and his father go off into the woods like Louis and Clark on a quest. Part of the trail was washed out; they weren’t worried as they pushed on. “It’s lunchtime,” Dads call out, and the weary journeymen rest. They eat alongside the stream as planned. They lose themselves in fact and fable. Dad looks at his watch at three o’clock and notices they are later than expected. Dad tries not to show concern to Mikey for fear of anxiousness and worry. As the next hours go by, the father starts to doubt if he will be able to make it back by dark. The father is trying to speed up, but the little boy labors from trying too hard to keep up. The sun sets in the deep woods early in late Autumn.

As the sun fades lower and lower, the father decides to tell his son the dreadful news, “We can’t go on! It isn’t safe to walk in the dark woods. We aren’t equipped to hike at night, so we must camp here.” The boy peppers dad with questions, “Without a tent? What will we eat? What about a sleeping bag? Are there dangerous animals out here?” The father has answers but not the ones either of them needs to squelch the anxiety.

As the night progressed, Mikey was scared, as he feared the unknown. He could do nothing but wait. His Dad reassured him that light was coming. Mikey trusted in his father’s words. He clutched his father tightly, and they huddled and hugged through the night. He was gaining patience and strength minute by minute, hour by dreaded hour. The little boy rested in his father’s arms. The woods were as dark as his closed eyes. Huddled closely, daybreak punched through with a brightness of a 100-watt light bulb in a small room. Their wait was over; they stood the test. Mikey relied on the promised whispers of his father, “Wait until the light comes! Wait until the light comes!”

This may be a dark season for you. Wait on the Lord. Light is coming. Wait patiently. Wait faithfully. The deliverance of light will extinguish the dark. Jesus is the light (John 8:12).

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

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