April 24, 2017
Psalm 91:3-4
Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
New International Version (NIV)
                 Traumatic!  Nobody who ever saw Hitchcock's movie The Birds ever saw our flying friends the same way again.  My brother Dan and I were visiting our Uncle Virgil and Aunt Lilly in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri one summer when we discovered they had a chicken coop.  We took it upon ourselves to go and extricate the freshly laid eggs from the coop.  Again and again we returned . . . every few minutes.  One particular hen took exception with us and flogged my brother severely.  It was terrible to watch, but it would have been worse to endure.

                On the other hand we have watched mother birds carefully watch over their young.  Perhaps the lesson is:  it is good to be the offspring but bad to be an intruder.  In Psalm 91 the Psalmist sees God as the protective parent who shelters his young under his wings.  Doesn't it sound safe and secure?  So how do we know who God is and who we are?  Is he protecting us from others or others from us? 

                When Jesus entered the ancient city of Jerusalem he wept and said, "How often I would have gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks, but you would not."  God wants to gather us and receive us into his family.  His faithfulness shields us today.  Will we run to him for refuge?  We are either refugees who run to God or fugitives who run away.  Who are we today?  Safe.  Sheltered.  Sustained.

Pray with me:  
Gracious God, thank you for welcoming us into your family.  Cover us in your protection today.  Remind us of your unconditional, undying love for your people.  Teach us to trust you today.  Keep us close.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 
I want to invite you to join me in memorizing 52 passages this year from the 2017 set of Fighter Verses.  You can find the Fighter Verses App at the App Store on your phones or via this link  http://fighterverses.com/the-verses/fighter-verses/As we study the Bible this year, let's look at each text and learn what it says about God. 
Joyfully, 
Duane 
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