God’s Protective Wings

A story in National Geographic several years ago gives us a beautiful and penetrating picture of God’s protective wings covering His children. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, the ranger reached out to knock the bird over with a stick. As he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety, but she refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze reached her, the heat had scorched her small body, but the mother had remained steadfast; because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings had lived.

 

The Psalmist beautifully illustrates God’s protective love and care for each of us in Psalm 91:4, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge”.

As His children, let’s remember the One who truly loves us (Romans 5:5-10), and then be different from the masses of the world because of that love (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Mike Riley