“He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield,” Psalm 91:4, HCSB.
It hangs on the wall of the tack room at the barn—a long, turkey tail feather. It is a reminder to the hunters of the grand turkey who wintered on the farm last year, and whom they failed to catch. The feather has the iridescent colors interspersed among the browns and tans. It catches the light when you glance at it from different directions, and it looks impressive on the wall. But, the feather hangs on the wall so it will not be broken, snagged, or pulled apart by wear and tear. After all, it is just a feather, a fragile feather. Feathers are used to make pillows; they are easily broken by small predators, and they are not prized possessions. They are small, insignificant aspects of nature, only noticed because they give birds the ability to fly. Feathers are not weapons, and they are definitely not the foundations for buildings.
But God, in His infinite ability to illustrate His principles, refers to His feathers as our protection—His wings as our refuge. At first glance, that seems to be a very poor illustration; feathers are not enough to protect us and wings are easily broken and destroyed, meaning our refuge from an earthly standpoint is, at the very least, perilous! But not so with God. God, the Creator of the universe, the planner of all our paths, the hope of all our eternities, the Savior of our souls says His feathers are our protection and His wings are our refuge. God’s power is so intense, His character so deep, His love so vast for us that it only takes His feathers to protect us! Think about it and let that sink in.
God is so strong—His feathers can protect us from the worst of all disasters. His wings are so powerful; He can shield us from the greatest distresses. His love for us is so complete; He does not need to call all the armies of Heaven to defend us—even though they are at His disposal. No, all He needs to be able to care for us is His wings. All He needs to call upon to protect us are His feathers. What seemed at first to be a poor illustration becomes a wonderful picture of hope and peace! What seemed to be perilous at first glance becomes the peaceful truth that gives us balance and refuge in times of trial. With the gentleness of a mother bird, God covers us with His feathers—spreads His wings to shield us, and it is enough. It is enough because He is so powerful that His feathers are enough to protect us from anything. It is enough because He is enough, and nothing—on this earth, in Heaven or anywhere else, will ever be able to get past His wings. Aren’t you glad you are covered by the feathers of God?
Thought-provoker: Are you living under the protection of God’s wings? If you are, take time to praise Him for His great power and protection over your life. If you are not, why not ask God today to be your refuge from the trials of this life, to be the Savior of your soul and the Hope for your eternity!
Lord, thank You that Your feathers are enough—I need nothing more to protect me from the trials of this life because You are so awesome and powerful! I praise You for Your great care! Amen.
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