Over the weekend we added a pair of chicks (see them live here) to our backyard flock.  These cute little birds are fragile and require a fair amount of care.  Watching them leads to some clear spiritual applications in our relationship with God…

It Is Cold Out There

Even though baby chicks look warm in their fuzzy jackets of down, they cannot regulate their body temperature for the first few weeks.  In our home we keep them under a heat lamp at 90-95 degrees until they are fully feathered.  In a natural setting they would stay very close to their mama and their brothers and sisters to keep warm.

The same is true of young Christians as well.  It doesn’t matter if you are 14 or 40 when you accept Christ, you need to stay close to the life giving source.  As time goes by and we study and grow, we will be able to better fend for ourselves in a world that can sometimes seem very cold and challenging.

Obviously this requires us to GROW as Christians.  If you never pick up a Bible, say a prayer, attend worship services, or talk about your faith…are you growing?  Our spiritual growth won’t happen naturally as physical growth does for a baby chick.  Our growth requires effort and some purpose.

Strength In Feathery Wing

Have you ever handled a full grown chicken before?  Their wings can be surprisingly tough even though they are made of incredibly light bones and feathers.  More than once I have been ‘wing whipped’ in the face by a startled hen.  Trust me, it hurts!  Mama hen can spread her wings out over her chicks providing a solid defense from wind, rain and other elements.  I have even seen some of our grown hens put a wing over another chicken during some of our colder nights here in Texas.  There is a lot strength and protection in those wings.

It is no wonder there are so many scriptures and hymns that speak of the safety of resting under the protective ‘wing’ of God.  You can imagine how comforting it is for a chick to be tucked under the wings of its mother.  How much greater is our comfort to know that we rest in the caring embrace of our Heavenly Father.

God’s creation speaks to His care and concern for us, His plan for us, and His incredible power and foresight.  Even these small and fragile chicks send a constant testimony of the Creator in the gentle cheeps that are filling our home these days.  As we become more and more detached from the outdoors, I encourage you to take a bit of time just to watch and look for God in the things that are all around us.  Make sure that you are safe under His wing.

Written On My Hearts – Week 3

The Written On My Heart series of memorizing scripture and Bible facts has been a fun adventure for our family so far this year.  I hope you are getting some good benefit as well.  It is fun to hear from friends at church and across the country as they put these pages to use.  Here it is… Written On My Heart – Week 3