I am sure many of you are like I am. We ask God for help and guidance for the big things in our lives, but we often forget about the little things. We either think that God does not want to be bothered with little things, or we just forget to ask Him to help us.
However, God is interested in every area of our lives, large or small. He wants us to come to Him about every detail. Let me tell you a story about a young man who asked God to help him get up at the right time the following morning and how his prayer was answered.
A group of boys were on a camping trip. They had already set up camp, eaten supper and were about ready to climb into their sleeping bags for the night.
Larry, the adult leader of the group, was also getting ready for the night. He had taken many groups of Christian young people on camping trips like this. They not only enjoyed God’s beautiful creation, but the time of fellowship together was refreshing for the boys as well as Larry.
Larry had just finished praying and was zipping up his sleeping bag when he heard someone outside his tent.
“Who’s there?” he asked.
“Tony,” came the answer. “I need to talk to you a minute.”
“Sure, Tony. Just a second while I zip open the tent flap and then you crawl in. It’s crowded, but the mosquitoes won’t get us in here.”
After Tony was inside Larry asked him what he wanted to talk about.
“This is my first camping trip,” explained Tony, “and tomorrow morning I’m supposed to get up to make breakfast. My mom says I’m an awfully sound sleeper and I’m afraid I won’t wake up. Will you wake me up?” he asked.
“And what happens if I don’t wake up?” answered Larry with a little smile on his face. “Then what?”
Tony’s face fell. “I never thought about that. Didn’t anyone bring an alarm clock?”
“Who needs an alarm clock in the wilderness?” laughed Larry. “Don’t worry, Tony, I’ll get you up at 5:30.”
With that promise Tony went back to his own tent and was soon sound asleep.
Larry decided not to zip the outside flap closed again because it was such a warm night. “Besides,” he thought, “I can hear better if anything happens during the night.”
As he climbed into his sleeping bag again, Larry started thinking about the following morning. “Now how am I going to wake up?” he wondered. He knew that he was also a sound sleeper. Suppose he did not waken in time to get Tony up for breakfast chores. Tony would be upset, and Larry had promised to get him up.
Larry loved the Lord Jesus and knew the value and blessing of prayer. He believed that nothing was too small to pray about. So he knelt down on his sleeping bag and prayed again, asking the Lord Jesus to help him wake up the next morning at 5:30. He remembered the verse, “The Lord is nigh [near] unto all them that call upon Him.... He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him.” Psalms 145:18,1918The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. 19He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. (Psalm 145:18‑19). Believing that the Lord Jesus would answer his prayer, he went to sleep with his head by the netting at the door of his tent.
The next thing Larry remembered was waking up quite suddenly with cold water being splashed in his face! Thinking someone was playing a joke on him, he quickly looked out the tent door just in time to see a cow walking away from the tent. Then he figured out what had happened.
A dishpan of soapy water had been left just outside his tent door. It had been used by the boys, and Larry had taken it to his tent intending to get washed up a little before going to sleep. But Larry was getting into his sleeping bag when Tony came. He had forgotten about the dishpan of water.
The wilderness where they were camping apparently had range cattle on it. In its roaming, one of these cattle had found the pan of water. It must have taken a mouthful, and not liking the soapy taste had spit it out... right through the netting onto the face of sleeping Larry!
Recovering from his surprise, Larry remembered his promise to Tony and looked at his watch. It was exactly 5:30! Then Larry understood—the cow had been his alarm clock. Larry thanked the Lord Jesus for answering his request of the night before. He got up and wakened Tony.
At breakfast Larry told the boys about their “visitor” that morning and how it had wakened him. They all had a good laugh at Larry.
“But there was a reason,” Larry went on, looking at Tony. A knowing smile passed between them because Larry had already told Tony how he had prayed the night before and how the Lord had answered his prayer. Larry explained the whole story to the rest, giving the Lord Jesus all the credit for their having had breakfast on time that morning.
ML-05/13/1984