Under the Shadow of His Wings

 

Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. ~Psalms 36:1-7 KJV

Your Love, O Lord by Third Day 

When I read Psalms 36 I was reminded of this song.

Have you ever heard the story of how a fire raced across the fields where a mother hen and her chicks were feeding? When the fire was over the mother hen lay dead but her chicks were safe, hidden under her wings. 

As I read this Psalm I thought about how each item named shows us how the Lord created the universe as a covering reminding us He keeps us under the shadow of His wings. 

•  The Heavens - God's Mercy is not getting what we deserve. In the heavens, God placed the ball of the sun to remind us He gives us the Light that emanates from Him. He wraps us in the unseen warmth of His loving Holy Spirit. The light and the warmth are all part of the trinity God demonstrates with the sun. 

• The Clouds - God's Faithfulness is demonstrated in the clouds. God is faithful, drawing the water into the clouds. Then they release the water on the dry ground, the plants, animals, and us without which everything would die. God never leaves us or forgets us but is faithful to supply our needs. 

• Mountains - God's Righteousness is demonstrated by the unmovable mountains. God's laws never change. We can depend on the fact that what was sin in the past is still sin today. What was right in the past is still right today. God doesn't move the goal post. His laws never change. 

• The Deep - God's Judgements are right. If we were wronged and the judge at a trial turned the defendant lose because it was the first offense, we would feel betrayed. He would be an unrighteous judge. But God is a righteous judge. Sin must be punished so He sent His Son to pay for our offenses, our sins. He has judged His Son in our place and cast our sins into the depths of the seas where He will remember them no more. 

• The Shadow of His Wings - God is trustworthy. He is there for us. We can trust Him and find comfort in all He does. 

How will you put your trust in God's mercy; finding Him faithful this week? 

Father God, thank you for the beautiful universe You have created with such purpose. Help me keep my eyes and heart wide open to Your wonders. In Christ's name. Amen

Hey Kids:

Have you read the book I Went Walking by Sue Williams? 

Animals hide in plain sight that go walking with the child once she sees them. 

I wonder what you might find hiding this week that God has put in plain sight to remind us of His mercy, His faithfulness, His righteousness, and His judgments. His creation lets us know we can trust Him to take care of us. 

What could be important about a grain of sand, a caterpillar, a sparrow, and other things God created? 

Take a walk. Enjoy your findings. Keep a nature journal. Share your journal with your family and friends.

Celebrate Life

         

photo courtesy of Pixabay

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. ~Psalms 139:14 KJV

A friend of mine posted a picture this week of a swan walking around Lake Junaluska, NC. Its majestic swagger was evident even in a still photo. I wondered if he was looking for a mate or a place to show her for a nest. 

I follow the Wonderfilled Days blog, though I no longer teach or homeschool or even have children at home, I love reading her explorations and connections to children's literature. Part of her email this week was about The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. She brought to the reader's attention that at the end of most chapters Sam, posed a question, a thought provoking question. 

    "I don't know of anything in the entire world more wonderful to look at than a nest with eggs in it. An egg because it contains life is the most perfect thing there is. It is beautiful and mysterious. An egg is a finer thing than a tennis ball or a cake of soap. A tennis ball will always be just a tennis ball. A cake of soap will always be just a cake of soap until it gets so small nobody wants it and they throw it away, an egg will someday be a living creature."

~The Trumpet of the Swan

We value so many things, our grandmother's china cabinet, or our dad's '67 Mustang. We value the homerun baseball signed by our favorite player and the concert tickets from that special night but how valuable is a life? Tennis balls, fragrant soap, china, cars, signed balls, and tickets are just stuff, even those with memories attached are still just stuff but an egg, any egg is life itself. It will grow and transform into that beautiful cygnet, a bluebird, a salamander, or a platypus. Watching a mother robin tend her nest and seeing the newly hatched chicks is one of my favorite childhood memories. But these are not the only eggs that contain life. 

We may not be able to see the horse's egg or our dog's egg, or even a goat's egg but they all originate as an egg. Neither can we see the human egg inside the mother's womb but it is there growing with God forming the little person's every detail. He creates each human with love and a purpose. Whether there is only one child or twenty, whether the child is born into a family or adopted a child is still created with purpose and loved by God. 

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. ~Psalms 128:3-5

So much is happening to destroy the lives of our children physically, mentally, and spiritually. The swan builds a nest six feet wide to lay her eggs and protect her cygnets. The cob (male swan) swims close by guarding her and the young. Like swans, we need strong homes with watchful fathers and mothers who "fuss" over our families.  I pray we watch carefully over our children from conception to their flight from our nests. 

Father, give us a new heart for children and families. Help us guard them against Satan's entanglements and create a home where the wonders of the Lord and His salvation are shared daily. In Jesus's name. Amen. 

Hey Kids: 

Have you read The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White? Perhaps you have had it read to you. 

Did you notice the questions Sam thought of each night? 

He wrote them in a journal by his bed and pondered them as he went to sleep each night.

When he wondered about eggs he also wondered how the bird knew how to build a nest. 

Take some time to go outside and watch as spring brings new life. Watch as the birds and insects and other animals prepare homes for new life. 

Create a journal for your observations and questions. Ask for help finding literature about your questions. Add quotes from the literature or Bible verses that support your observations and questions.

Wonder at the wonderful world God has created to for us to enjoy and teach us of His great love. 

Crosses on a hill

 

 

Everything is showing signs of spring - peach and apple trees blossom, daffodils and tulips pop up everywhere. Even the pine trees are sporting new growth. But wait! What is that I see?