Wings of Silver, Feathers of Gold
"Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, You will be like the wings of a dove covered
with silver, And her feathers with yellow gold." - Psalm 68:13
It’s a dark and stormy night.
OK, that’s a corny description but it really is! Were in the middle of a horrible
thunderstorm. It's one o'clock in the morning and I’m lying awake listening
to the "rat tat tat" of rain hitting against the awning. The lighting
is striking so often that if you looked outside you might think it was daytime.
And the thunder? So loud you would be sure the storm was just a few feet over
your house. It isn't long before I hear the frightened voice my three-year-old
son Joshua calling out “Daddy!”
He’s wiping the sleep from his eyes as I hurry into his room. The look on
his face sums up his thoughts: "What the heck is going on out there!" My grandmother
used to say that thunder was really the sound angels bowling and when you saw lightning
it meant one of them had just gotten a strike. I was going to relay that little
nugget to him, but I don't think he would have bought it -- I never did.
I picked him up and wrapped my arms around him and told him daddy was here and that
everything was alright and I told him I loved him very much. The storm was
still intense outside, but he put his head on my shoulder and soon fell asleep right
there in my arms.
When my child called out to me I was there to comfort him. In the same way,
when we call out to God, our heavenly Father, He is there to comfort us, His children.
“If I say, ‘My foot slips’, Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up. In the multitude
of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul. (Psalm 94:18-19)
Just as I wrapped my arms around my child, shielding him from that which he feared,
God is always there to wrap His heavenly arms around us.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will
not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried
into the midst of the sea. (Psalm 46:1-2)
He shields us with wings of silver and feathers made of gold. He holds us
tight as He whispers to us, "Daddy is here. Everything is alright now.
I love you." And even though the storms of life are still raging around us,
we can rest easy because we are in His arms and all is well.
That’s why the Christian can sings:
“The nations raged, the kingdoms moved,
But when His voice was heard
The troubled earth was stilled to peace
Before His mighty Word.
The Lord of Hosts is on our side,
Our safety is secure;
The God of Jacob is for us
A refuge strong and sure.