Umbrellas

          Can you dodge rain drops?  I seemed to have tried it at times but still arrived spotted with rain.  When the rain starts to fall, one of the first things you reach for is that umbrella that is in the back of the car or under the seat. Umbrellas are marvelous things. They keep you dry, at least your head, while the rain falls. We are always eager to run to the nearest protection when storms come. Tents and awnings become temporary places of protection while the storms rage around us. God has not left us out in the storms of life without protection. Psalm 91:2-4 says, " I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." We are all in a spiritual warfare and we need to take heed of the protection that God has provided. In this Psalm, the writer states that God's protection is similar to that of a mother hen who protects her young chicks under her wings. This is always a marvelous thing to behold. It doesn't matter if it is a storm, an animal bent on capturing a chick or an eagle in the sky. When she sees the danger she calls her chicks and they come running, squirming to get underneath those wings that enfold the whole group of them. Then she squats down and keeps them protected. The writer here states that our protection is like that of the mother hen. We are under God's wings. The storms of life might include both physical and spiritual battles that we are going through. When you face failing health, physical injury or even spiritual battles, God is always there and He has provided us that "umbrella" of protection. Now, some people have a tendency to step out from under the umbrella and try to do it on their own. The analogy would be the same if a person decided to get out from under his umbrella during a storm. Will they get wet? Of course they will. Will a person suffer the consequences if they get out from under God's umbrella? The answer is still, "yes." So, by staying close to God and His Word and by keeping in touch with Him through prayer, you can be assured that you are under His umbrella of protection. Praise God today for His protection and for His "wings" of comfort.