Day 197 "Trust in God takes action."

Day 197 Matthew 23:37-39 “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Growing up and living on a farm, there are a number of things you learn rather quickly: never get between a sow and her piglets, and never reach your hand under a hen with chicks. Well, the latter may be a little overdramatized, unless you're like me. I hate being pecked by a chicken; there is just something about it! But, seriously, as I read this passage, I can't help but smile when I think of how amazing it is that a hen can place so many chicks under her wings, and you will never know they are there. She hovers over them so tightly that nothing can get to them unless it gets past her; she is the force field between them and any danger. We live in an area where there are many hawks, and hawks love chicks, but when that hen clucks in her certain way, the chicks crawl under her wings, and they are as safe as safe can be. The only time the chicks are in trouble is when they ignore the call to danger or stay out just a little too long–that’s when their enemy gets them. This passage shows us a very passionate and loving side of our savior, as He desires to be the protection and covering for His people–all they need do is accept His offer. This passage also makes clear the point of our free will, for Jesus did not say that He gathered His people but rather that He wanted to, yet they refused, in other words, they made the choice. There are many times in my life where I really wanted God to choose for me; however, if He always did, I would soon become resentful, lazy, and unappreciative. Therefore, I must stay alert and do my best to make the right choices, the first of which is to love him. Another point in this passage is the great grace, mercy, and patience that He has for us all–they murdered men of God, they were about to murder Him, they rejected the savior, and yet He promises to return and rescue them in spite of their choices. The bummer for me is that even today we have all of this knowledge of our God, His goodness, faithfulness, and mercy, yet there are many who are still angry with Him, all for no reason. You see, there really is no good reason for being mad at God. He offers a better way, gives us every opportunity to be blessed, and so much more, yet for whatever the reason, many of us are angry with Him. Why? Because things haven't gone the way we think they should, or maybe we’re not as pretty as we would like to be, or possibly we don't understand why a loved one has gone on? To carry anger toward God means that we think we know better than He. How can that possibly be? Have we even the slightest ability to understand eternity, boundless space and timeless travel, peace beyond all measure, and love without end? Of course not. We cannot even begin to imagine these things, and yet there is so much more. Therefore, our anger, frustration, or dissolution with God has no foundation for we cannot relate; however, I can relate to this, he wants to protect us just as a mother chick protects her young. Now that is cool! Daily Prayer: Father, thank You that You desire to protect me from the effects of the world. Help me, Lord, to hear Your voice that I might run to You at the first sound of trouble. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Trust in God takes action." Gene Burroughs, Pastor