Protection

Psalm 17:8 AMPC

Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings

Psalm 36:7 AMPC

How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

As believers in Jesus, we are called to be as wise as serpents, but harmless as doves!

Matthew 10:16

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.

Hard to do, I know..... but it means: to put down our own weapons of self defence and flee to the shelter of our God for protection.

We can see how it works in nature where the young run to their mothers for protection.

You don't see a baby bird trying to brazen it out in front of a predator, do you? No, it runs for the cover of its mum or dad who will shelter it and stand up to the threat.

Last spring it was a joy to observe the cygnets clinging close to "mummy" swan to be comforted under her feathers.

That's the picture the psalmist is painting, encouraging us to live where our loving Heavenly Father can look after us.

It takes swallowing a huge slice of humble pie to behave like a sheep in front of a wolf, but, if we leave the defence up to our Good Shepherd, He WILL take care of us.

We've already seen that Jesus laid down His Life for His sheep:

John 10:11-12

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

Trying to find shelter and protection in other religions or ideologies won't save you in danger - only in Jesus is there true safety and protection.