HOW LIKE A HEN'S FEATHERS IS GOD'S COVERING FOR YOU?

A hen’s feathers may seem too inadequate for protecting her chicks, but not so. They can be formidable when used against the enemy. Such is God’s protection for us against the enemy, Satan. We can count on His protection—when we choose to dwell with Him.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES             by Sally Bair

Feathers and faith

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:4)

Have you ever watched a mother hen protect its young from danger? She does not run to her youngsters and jump up to try to cover them with her wings. Rather, the hen hunkers down, spreads her wings and begins to cluck. When the chicks hear her, they run to her and scoot under her feathers. As soon as they’re all safe, she pulls her wings down tight to tuck them in.

What a picture of God! When Jesus lamented over the state of His people, He used the example of maternal love to demonstrate His deep and faithful commitment. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37)

God’s faithfulness shows itself to us not only as a mother hen but as a shield. A hen’s feathers become a shield for her chicks just as God’s Word becomes a shield for us. According to Jesus’ words, the contrast between God’s willingness to protect us and our unwillingness to accept is great. His faithful love is always available. However, it is not automatic. He’s always there, but we must run to Him by believing He truly will protect us when we ask.

Countless people have been rescued from harm by reciting Psalm 91 in faith. Perhaps you’re one of them or know of someone who has found safety therein. Some, however, refuse to avail themselves of God’s love and protection because they believe they are unworthy. Or perhaps pride in believing they can save themselves robs many of His protection.

For still others, busyness is their faith-robber. God gifts each of us with twenty-four hours a day. When we tally how much time we spend sleeping, eating, working, having fun and interacting with family, we often come up short in the time we spend with God—through prayer and Bible reading and meditation. Such a shortage affects our faith and relationship with Him, which may rob us of His willing protection.

Lord, thank You for Your faithful love and protection. Fill us with the desire to depend on You as a baby chick depends on its mother for all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.       

HOW DO WE AVOID SATAN'S TRAPS?

We must be aware every day that he will try to trap us. He knows our weaknesses and preys on them. But thanks be to God, through Christ we are overcomers!

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES             by Sally Bair

The trapper

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. (Psalm 91:3)

My son has a trapline in the Alaskan interior where he spends several weeks in the winter setting snares for martens, beaver, wolverines and other mammals. Some of the animals he pursues are elusive because of their intelligence and cunning nature.

God’s Word speaks of the devil as a trapper—one who sets snares for the unsuspecting victim. Like animal trappers, and war strategists who plant deadly mines, Satan sets his traps in carefully planned places. Like the animals that fall into my son’s traps, we may not recognize Satan’s schemes. We may be so entrenched with our own thoughts, worries and problems that we don’t realize how close we are to falling into a trap.

What kind of traps does he use to deceive us? Entire books have been written about them, including deception regarding Christianity, wrong social morals or our own lack of self-worth. Often cleverly hidden, we step into them without realizing it until too late.

We can avoid the snares of our enemies, however, such as wrong thoughts and attitudes. When Jesus sent His disciples to share the Good News of His salvation, He sent them out “as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)

We are told to use wisdom and grace, according to Paul, who often compared the Christian life to that of a soldier. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ ….” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

Jesus also said, “The thief [Satan] does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Through faith in Him and repentance of our sin, we can have His abundant life and “dwell in His secret place,” as Psalm 91:1 says. Then He will deliver us from the trapper’s snare.

Lord, thank You for Your promises of deliverance. Set us free from the traps of the devil as we dwell in Your secret place of prayer and Your living Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

           

SPEAKING THE WORD ALOUD GIVES IT POWEER

When you read the Word, do you speak it aloud or silently? I’ve discovered when I speak it aloud it has more power, is easier to remember, and changes my focus and attitude. Try it and see.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES             by Sally Bair

Speak up!

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

During WWII, English correspondent C. B. Morelock reported an unexplainable occurrence. The miracle happened when over 400 British troops were trapped by the enemy on a beach. They had no place to take cover as sixty German aircraft continued to bomb them and ground soldiers attacked them with machine guns. Not one man was hit. All had shouted Psalm 91 as loud as they were able.

Many other war stories have been documented wherein military personnel survived by speaking Psalm 91 during the heat of battle. One soldier, shot in the chest, dropped to the ground and later found the bullet had pierced his pocket Bible, stopping at Psalm 91. Such stories about the power of God’s Word bring encouragement and faith to those who hear them.

“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Those who believe His Word, as did the men and women whom God rescued as they proclaimed Psalm 91, see first-hand the power of God. They and many others, including myself, have learned the more we say His Word aloud, the more confident we become in His protection. Power is released when we speak it, believing. At such times, we find ourselves in the “shelter of the Most High.” (Psalm 91:1)

We may find areas where we neglect to speak God’s Word aloud. When we become too busy, when we encounter verbal abuse, when we blame ourselves for negative happenings or when we doubt God’s promise to be with us and protect us. Imagine the difference in our life if we began to quote His promises aloud! Speaking life into any situation magnifies our faith.

Most of us tend to put our trust in inanimate objects such as insurance policies, savings accounts, door locks and storm cellars. Not that we shouldn’t take sensible precautions to protect life. But when we dismiss God’s more powerful protection, we miss out on His peace and joy. After all, insurance and savings, locks and basements could fail us. God’s promises never fail. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22)

Lord, thank You for your faithful Word that we can count on in any situation. Bring Your Words of Psalm 91 alive in our hearts. In Jesus’ name, amen.

WHERE IS YOUR DWELLING PLACE?

We all need a special place where we feel safe from the noise and demands of living. God offers us Himself as our dwelling place, a place of quiet rest, strength, and acceptance—a place where no one or nothing can affect us.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES             by Sally Bair

Your dwelling place

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)

On cold days when I felt especially harried from the demands of raising my three young children and two foster girls, I found a “safe place”—the barn. The soft noises from our cows and their big-body warmth always soothed my spirit. Spending a short time there made me feel settled and ready again to meet the demands of motherhood.

We crave places of shelter from the noise and bustle that surrounds us. We search for it. Whether we’re sick in body or spirit, a busy parent, teacher, laborer or business owner, we can choose a quiet spot. It can be in nature or inside our home or workplace. In such dwelling places we can find momentary peace and rejuvenation of spirit.

God would have us choose Him as our ultimate safe place of shelter. Psalm 91 tells us how. Dwelling in the shelter of God is the Old Testament’s way of teaching faith. As humans, we have no built-in shelter against the elements of nature or living. But God offers us His protection, and more, when we choose to accept it. Yes, we may believe He is our protector and refuge. We may even feel peaceful and content when we think about His sheltering arms. But we will never experience it until we lay hold of it, by faith.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of stories exist about God’s supernatural protection of those who have quoted Psalm 91, believing without any doubt His promises of shelter. Many of those stories come from servicemen and women and first responders.

I believe Christians should memorize Psalm 91 and store it in their hearts and minds. For example, say verse 2 aloud. “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him I will trust.’” When we speak His Word, rather than just read its promises aloud, its power seems to multiply.

We cannot protect ourselves from all the bad things that can happen, though we try to find safe places like my cattle barn. But as David wrote in Psalm 60:11, “Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless [in vain].” Regular physical checkups, insurance and other precautions are helpful but offer no foolproof guarantee of protection. Only God can do that. In fact, He considers us as—and calls us—His sheep. Without Him we are helpless.

Lord, thank You for Your protection and for being our refuge. Strengthen our faith to lay hold of Your faithful promises. In Jesus’ name, amen.