I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. (Psalm 57:1-2) Where does God provide refuge? Under the shadow of his wings. A mother hen will call for her chicks, sheltering there under the cover of her wings for as long as any threat is nearby. The hen sacrifices her comfort for the protection of her young. Jesus sacrificed the 'protection' of his divinity to become the sacrifice for our sins. There is no better shelter from the 'threats' in our lives than the shadow of his wings. Until the danger passes by. The ability to 'hide' under the shelter of his wings is always there, but it is especially needed when danger surrounds us. If you haven't learned to take shelter in his presence during the times when danger isn't pressing in around you, you will when danger imposes a threat! The chicks don't just shelter under their mo...
This I know: God is on my side! I praise God for what he has promised; yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:9-11) This I know. Those three words make all the difference. What is it you know? Who is it you know? What you answer to those two questions might just be the difference between failure or perseverance in the face of trial or temptation. God is indeed on our side, but do we really trust that with all our heart? As a child, we'd divide into 'teams' formed by the wishes of two team 'captains'. The selection process would continue, one right after the other, until we were divided into the two teams. The ones you had 'on your side' made all the difference in how well the game would turn out, didn't it? Those selected early were usually the strongest 'players' in the sport. Those left to last were more like 'warm bodies' on the field. Those...