by Carel Chan
When I was a little girl, my friends and I in school had a few fun games we played often. One of which was, “The Mother Hen, Her Chicks and The Big Bad Wolf.” I have no idea who created this game, but it somehow became a hit in my pre-primary days and even in the earlier part of my primary school years. The idea is to have different people playing different roles – the role of a “mother hen”, her “chicks” and the “big bad wolf”. The aim of the “wolf” is to run after the “chicks”, while the responsibility of the “mother hen” is to protect her “chicks”, who are gathered behind her from the reach of the wolf with her outstretched hands.
This little game I used to play comes to my mind as I read Psalm 91:4, “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection.”
The Lord reminded me that He is my Shield and my Protection. His strong feathered wings will cover and shelter me from the enemies. We can catch a glimpse of what it means that the Lord will shield and protect us as we watch how a mother hen protects her chicks. Sensing impending threats, the mother hen will make a series of clucks, warning her chicks of danger. She will then take on a protective stance by fluffing out her wings to the side and her chicks will go running to her and get under her wings for protection.
“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armour and protection.”
Psalm 91:4
Our Lord protects us no lesser than a mother hen does for her chicks. His promises are our Armour and our Protection. We can go to God when we face adversities and when we are pursued by our enemies. We can run to God and hide under His widespread feathered Wings; He will cover us and guard us from dangers. He will deliver from our foes.
For “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!” (Psalm 46:1-3)
In quiet confidence and with His Strength, we can overcome the dreadful circumstances and turbulences in life. Even when the earth is giving way, the mountains are falling apart, and the waves roaring ferociously, the Lord alone is our Refuge, our place of Safety. He is our God and we can trust Him. Go to God, go to the Wings that protect and you know you are safe under His Wings.