December 24

Grasshopper Plague

How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? . . . I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts (Habakkuk 1:2; 2:1).

Scripture: Habakkuk 1:2-4; 2:1-4

Song: “Before the Throne of God Above”

Between 1873 and 1877 grasshopper plagues invaded many Midwestern states. In her book On the Banks of Plum Creek, Laura Ingalls Wilder said swarms blocked the sun and looked like glittering snowflakes. On the ground, their munching sounded like crackling fire as they reduced crops to stubble. They laid eggs, and newly-hatched grasshoppers joined arriving swarms to eat more crops. By spring of 1877 some families neared starvation, and the Minnesota Governor, John Pillsbury, declared a day of prayer. When several warm days followed, allowing more grasshoppers to hatch, skeptics laughed. Faithful people kept praying, though, and day four brought a freeze that killed many grasshoppers. That summer the grasshopper plagues ended.

Habakkuk cried out to God in a hard time and even complained that God wasn’t listening. The prophet didn’t give up, though; he continued to pray and watch for God’s answer. Far from being angry at the prophet’s complaints, God understood and answered. The Lord wants us to come to Him with our deepest fears.

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to die for our sins, so that, resting in His righteousness, we may bring every concern to You and watch in faith for Your answers. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

December 24–30. Kathy O’Neill is a teacher, who writes and speaks about art and Christian history. She lives in Colorado with her husband and enjoys serving the Lord in various ministries, and spends time traveling, reading, and walking her corgi.