Loving Arms

Loving Arms

Bible Blast: Read Deuteronomy 32:7-14

Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions. Deuteronomy 32:11

Father Carlos runs a little farm in Brazil with some goats, chickens, roosters, and other common barnyard animals. But he has one set of animals that are anything but ordinary: six kittens. You might think that kittens are quite ordinary, but these kittens had a barnyard chicken that took to mothering them.

Mama Cat went to her kittens a few times a day to make sure they got the milk they need to live, but that’s all she did. The Mama Chicken took over. She cleaned the kitties and kept them from danger. They rubbed up against her, and she nuzzled them with her beak. She never took her eyes off those kittens.

The kittens were just as comfortable snuggling with Mama Chicken as they were with Mama Cat. They didn’t realize that cats and chickens are natural enemies. They didn’t care because the chicken was caring for them and loving them as if they were her own babies. The Mama Chicken would even put her wings over the kittens to keep them safe and warm. That’s how lots of birds protect their young. They gather the babies under their wings to hide them from predators. And that’s what God longs to do with us.

It’s a beautiful picture to think of God gathering all his children together and covering them with incredible, strong wings. It’s a perfect picture of his protection and love. He doesn’t need big steel walls or metal bars to protect us from evil. His love and affection for us are stronger than any weapon.

Real love attracts people to it. God has loved us with a love that never dies or goes away. It’s a forever love, and it draws us to him. It’s like a magnet. We are attracted to a relationship with God because his love pulls us closer and closer to him.

As Father Carlos’s kittens felt secure with Mama Chicken close by, we can count on the Lord to cover us in his great love forever.

Girl Gab: God gives us parents to shelter us and cover us with protective “wings.” Today, why not enjoy a prolonged mother/daughter hug. Daughter, really snuggle under your mom’s “wings”!