A few years ago a friend was moving and was forced to leave his farm animals behind. He convinced me to take his five chickens and assured me that chickens were easy to take care of and they would provide me with fresh eggs everyday.
Well it turns out that chickens are some of the most intriguing pets I have ever owned. It’s fascinating to watch baby chicks hatch out of the shell and be totally self-sufficient. Although they eat and drink independently the day they are born, they do need protection from many predators. They are easy prey for cats, dogs, hawks, foxes, and raccoons. The mother hen keeps her chicks sheltered under her wings.
Recently I was watching a mother hen call her chicks so that she could shelter them from impending danger. Most of the one-week old chicks readily responded to the call. However, there were two that wandered even farther away. The mother became more and more distressed calling the two young chicks. They eventually came after much screeching from the mother hen. This made me think of how in the bible God tells us that he will protect us like a hen protects her chicks.
Psalm 91:4-5 tells us, "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day."
We need not to be afraid because God will protect us like a hen protects her chicks. But in order for Him to protect us we must heed his call. We can’t live in the world doing worldly things with no thought of danger. Just because we are Christians does not mean that we are automatically covered with a blanket of protection regardless of our actions.
Just as I watched the mother hen frantically call for her chicks God has at times called for His people to no avail. In Matthew 23:37 (New International Version) He says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”
The hen knows that without her protection the tiny young chicks are easy prey. She will gather as many as she can under her wings, but she will not desert those under her wings for the one not heading her call.
On yet another day I witnessed the same event with the same young chick moving farther and farther away from the protective wings of his mother. On that day he ventured near the family dog and a loud bark sent him scampering for the safety of his mother’s wings.
It’s interesting how some Christians react this way. Many will come immediately when the Father calls and others will only come when they encounter danger. How often have we as Christians heard the call but have been distracted by worldly things? How many times have we become too busy to read the bible, pray or attend a bible study?
Just as the young chick eagerly ran to his mother when his life was in danger, we rush to God in our times of despair. When we face trials in life or when we feel we are in danger we know we will be protected and that we need not to fear.
We should seek God always, not only in a time of trouble.
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