(excerpt from When Father is a Bad Word)
The Bible illustrates our Heavenly Father’s protection over His children by painting a picture of a mother hen. In Psalm 91 we read, He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge (v. 4, NIV).
I read recently of an interesting discovery in the wake of a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park. While in the glades assessing the damage of the blaze, a forest ranger happened upon a bird that had perished in the fire but was found still standing beneath a tree. The ranger was heartsick with the morbid discovery. He took a stick and knocked the bird over. When he did, three tiny chicks hopped out from under their mother’s wings. The mother’s instincts had led her to guide the chicks to the ground as the lethal smoke rose upward. Rather than flying to safety, the mother bird chose to sacrifice her life so that her babies could live.
Sometimes dads abandon their kids. Some fathers are not present, physically or emotionally, to provide protection for their children. But our Heavenly Father is present. He offers us the security of knowing that He is always aware of our surroundings and offers us refuge under His loving wings. Even when floods and fires come—and they will come—we have a Father who is so committed to our safety that He secured it with the blood of His Son, Jesus. God, our Protector, our Refuge, our Shield, our Rock, our Strength, our Hiding Place, our Shepherd offers us what no other father can: eternal security.
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation” (Psalm 91:14-16, NLT).
In the midst of the most unstable father-child relationships we are assured that we have a Heavenly Father who knows us, who loves us, who protects us. Let these words of Jesus Himself give you comfort: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand (John 10:27-29, NLT).
The Bible illustrates our Heavenly Father’s protection over His children by painting a picture of a mother hen. In Psalm 91 we read, He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge (v. 4, NIV).
I read recently of an interesting discovery in the wake of a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park. While in the glades assessing the damage of the blaze, a forest ranger happened upon a bird that had perished in the fire but was found still standing beneath a tree. The ranger was heartsick with the morbid discovery. He took a stick and knocked the bird over. When he did, three tiny chicks hopped out from under their mother’s wings. The mother’s instincts had led her to guide the chicks to the ground as the lethal smoke rose upward. Rather than flying to safety, the mother bird chose to sacrifice her life so that her babies could live.
Sometimes dads abandon their kids. Some fathers are not present, physically or emotionally, to provide protection for their children. But our Heavenly Father is present. He offers us the security of knowing that He is always aware of our surroundings and offers us refuge under His loving wings. Even when floods and fires come—and they will come—we have a Father who is so committed to our safety that He secured it with the blood of His Son, Jesus. God, our Protector, our Refuge, our Shield, our Rock, our Strength, our Hiding Place, our Shepherd offers us what no other father can: eternal security.
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation” (Psalm 91:14-16, NLT).
In the midst of the most unstable father-child relationships we are assured that we have a Heavenly Father who knows us, who loves us, who protects us. Let these words of Jesus Himself give you comfort: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand (John 10:27-29, NLT).
RSS Feed