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Psalm 91:4 – He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. (KJV)
Summertime presented great fun in the timberland. Sleeping outside was one of those activities. A day spent gathering twigs, branches, and boughs of broken fir and redwood trees produced our finished rounded, mounded shelter. Weary but satisfied, we placed sleeping mats on the ground. As dusk turned to darkness, the hoot of the owl, scampering of small animals in the underbrush, and branches cracking made us want to run for safety. Silly us! We were only 20 feet from the house.
Tree boughs aren't much protection against overactive imaginations at work. Of course, when I felt scared, I told God about it. I thought about our shelter. The smaller twigs and branches reminded me of tiny feathers, and the boughs, of large wings draped over us, as I'd learned from a psalm at Sunday school. I realized that the small shelter was an example of the very special protection of God that we are given. Comforted, I fell asleep. When I woke up at sunrise, my friends had bailed. They were by the front door, on the porch.
The pieces of fir trees had provided us with a temporary play shelter, but God offers us the shelter of His presence forever and always, for eternity. When we go through hard times, let's remember today's psalm verse. God's loving care and protection are like the feathers and strong wings of a mother hen with her baby chicks snuggled up close, as they build trust to explore their surroundings.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for using things of nature to give us a reminder of Your care and keeping. Building trust takes a while as we learn who You are, so please be patient with us. May we sense Your presence so that our faith in You grows stronger. Amen.
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Sunday, September 8, 2024 – In Central British Columbia — Pray for the Cariboo House Churches in British Columbia as the people gather from across the Cariboo region to celebrate 35 years of mission outreach. Pray for a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit to empower people to reach out in their own communities.
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Amen, Karen.
Good writing. Relatable experience! Thank you.
Thank you. In this crazy world. We need reminders of God’s protection. He is always there to listen and guild through the Holy Spirit. Thank God!
(Manitoba)
Good morning Karen,
Thank you for writing and contributing to the devotionals. Very good words that we are ever protected by our Lord’s loving care, now and into eternity.
Blessings to you.
(B.C.)
Hi Karen:
Thank you for your wonderful story and analogy. Your imagination is like mine.
I often think of protective wings and also crawling up on His lap and being totally secure and feel so safe.
God bless you my sister in Christ.
Dear Karen,
The description you used in today’s devotional of twigs, branches, and tree boughs, and the comparison you made with God feathers and protective care is one I will most certainly have etched in my mind whenever I read Psalm 91:4.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for writing this wonderful truth so well, building it with well-chosen words so that we can lay the twigs and branches along with you, smell the scent of the pines and the outdoors and see what you are describing. Such a clear metaphor for the protection of our loving Father. Grateful for your reminder today and even the little bit of humour about your friends, ‘bailing,’ that made me smile.