The dog trotted proudly down the road, his tail held jauntily in the air. He paused every few steps to mark his territory, daring anything to cross his path. Suddenly a small movement in the hedge nearby caught the dog's keen eye. It was a young squirrel who had wandered too far from his home in the tall oak tree. Scared and alone, the squirrel quickly scampered to the nearest protection from the growling dog, a small line of young saplings along the hedgerow. The big oak wasn't far; he could jump from sapling to sapling to escape the jaws of the dog. However, it was only a few saplings, and he would have to risk exposure on the open road to make it to his home.
The dog kept watch on his prey, barking his displeasure as the squirrel maintained a healthy distance in the tops of the sapling. The dog didn't give up. As the squirrel jumped from tree to tree, the dog was right there following the progress of the frightened squirrel. The small limbs of the saplings bent and swayed dangerously as the squirrel scampered quickly from one branch to the next, fear mounting as his shelter was quickly running out.
Finally, the squirrel was in the last sapling. What should he do? The dog was increasingly barking his anger as he jumped for the squirrel. The little squirrel could stay in the sapling, but he was afraid and wanted to be in the safety of the big oak. Suddenly, the squirrel rushed out of the sapling onto the open road, running for his life to his home in the big oak. He was almost there; his heart raced as the dog's thunderous paws bounded after him. He made it to the base of the oak and relief flooded through him; but it was too late. Before the little squirrel could scamper up the sturdy trunk, the dog was upon him. In one swift move, the squirrel's life was snuffed out. The chase was over, and the dog the victor.
How often are we like the squirrel? We wander down paths we know are not safe; paths that lead us far from home. When troubles and trials surround us, we pray for God's help, expecting to be removed from the storm at once. But sometimes God does not calm the storm, but carries us through. If the squirrel had stayed in the small sapling and waited for the dog to lose interest, he could have run home safely. He fled his shelter out of fear and uncertainty. Just as the squirrel reacted in a way that cost him his life, we tend to pray, but do not wait for God's answer. We rashly decide what needs to be done, often leading us on a course God did not intend for us to take. We must take shelter in our trust in God and await His answer, which is always on time. Whether up a tree or on the highest mountain top, we just need to be still and know that HE is God (Ps 46:10).