Under His Wings

When a verse (or verses) pops up in my life over and over in quick succession, I feel like the Holy Spirit is inviting me to meditate on something with Him.

Psalm 91 was prayed over Kurt and me twice in the matter of two days, and then it popped up in my YouVersion app and Lifegate Women’s Instagram feed.

Fine. I’m listening.

When I started making bracelets, I felt drawn to the wing charm as a “brand” idea – something to unify each of the pieces. Originally, I wrote Matthew 10:29 as the Scripture reference, because I was thinking about how much God loves us… Americans and Serbians and everyone alike.

But as we get closer to takeoff, I’m thinking the Holy Spirit was pointing me toward Psalm 91.

¹ Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
³ For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

I’ve honestly never really spent time with chickens or penguins or any other bird-type that gathers its young beneath its wings. I can picture the analogy, but I haven’t really experienced it in any meaningful way.

Also, the idea of God as a bird is freaky to me.

(I know, it’s a metaphor.)

I do, however, relate to the idea of being held by strong arms – my body enveloped by a protective hug that is more than just a physical idea, it’s an embrace that says, come what may, I’ve got you. Thankfully, I’ve known that sort of love. I know not everyone has.

I think Satan goes out of his way to distract us from the knowledge of God’s love.

Revelation 12:10 calls Satan “the accuser,” accusing us day and night before God, but I also think he is accusing God before us day and night as well.

Can you hear his snaky voice?

What sort of God would let innocent children die? What sort of God would let you suffer and not save you? Where is God now? 

God is so done with you. He can’t wait for you to sin so He can smack you in the face and say ‘I told you so.’ Just look at Him all high and mighty judging you. You’re never going to be good enough for Him. His standards are impossible anyway. Doesn’t the Bible say ‘it’s impossible to please God?’ 

If God were real, don’t you think you would have heard His voice by now? You pray, but what? Nothing. Everyone else hears God like He’s their best friend, but all you get is the cold shoulder. Wow. Wonder what you did wrong to deserve that? Or maybe God is just that mean. Maybe He just doesn’t want to speak to you.

Oh that I could silence that FILTHY LIAR in all of our minds all at once.

Yours is coming, Satan… The Lamb of God has already won.

For me, even though I’ve gotten to the point where I can recognize Satan’s lies about the character of God, he still tries to distract me from the knowledge of God’s love in other ways. Business, stress, kids, expectations, relationships, finances, fatigue… whatever.

Because our enemy knows that a real revelation of God’s love makes us FEARLESS.

If we knew in the very core of our beings that God longs to draw us into His protective hug, so close to Himself that we could hear his heart beating…

If we knew that God – Creator of the Universe, Breath of Life itself – promises to give us shelter from the storms of this life…

If we knew that we absolutely cannot fail, because beyond every conceivable accolade we chase, our Father has already given us His approval – His acceptance – His love…

If we really knew that, we would already have the heavenly perspective that all of the trivialities of this life, all of the suffering and struggle, and even death itself is a breath on the wind of eternity.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! – 2 Corinthians 4:17

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. – James 4:14

And the very last thing on the planet that Satan wants is a bunch of fearless Christians who would do crazy things like… oh I don’t know… take 5 kids halfway around the world for the sake of Love Himself.

Just think about what your life would be like if you truly. feared. nothing.

As a girl with chronic anxiety, I can tell you, my heart would be so much lighter.

So the Holy Spirit sends me reminders like Psalm 91. And He is whispering in my ear, Come what may, baby, I’ve got you.

⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. – Ephesians 3:17-19

¹⁸ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. – 1 John 4:8