Like a Hen Gathers Its Chicks

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in under the shadow of the Almighty.  

I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.'...

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge."

Psalm 91:1-3

When I was in Honduras, we got a tour of the Hospital's farm.  It is a fairly new undertaking, which provides jobs for the locals, food for the Hospital and the Children's Center, and in the years to come has the potential to generate enough palm oil for use as a power source.  During the tour, we came across this mama hen.  She was just sitting on the ground and appeared to have a couple of chicks.  As we continued to talk, I was amazed and surprised to watch several more chicks emerge from under her wings.  As I watched one, then two, and then a third come out of hiding from the shelter of the mama's wings, the Spirit reminded me of the above passage and of a similar one where Jesus cries out that he longed to gather the people close to himself "as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings." (Matthew 23:37) Now with my own eyes, I was able to see  just what that means in a clearer way.  Those chicks were so close to that mama hen that I didn't even know they were there!  She was protecting them, allowing them rest, maybe sheltering them from the sun.  And my great God is a shelter, a fortress, and will cover me under His wings.  If I will trust in Him, if I will allow Him to gather me as a hen gathers her chicks, then I will know security and real rest.  I want to be so close to God that I can feel him and sense His movements.  That I know His protective covering over me and can say in confidence, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."  I want to run into His Presence, into the shadow of the Almighty, and find rest for my soul!  Won't you come along?  There's room for more!