Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
from the wicked who do me violence,
my deadly enemies who surround me. Psalms 17:8-9
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalms 36:7
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. Psalms 57:1
Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah Psalms 61:4
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. Psalms 91:4
Oh how we learn lessons from the Holy Spirit by the things we are going through. Do you learn from Him that way as well? Do you hear the Holy Spirit relate what is currently going on in your life into spiritual lessons? From my life experience parenting by far has been the biggest spiritual lesson opportunity for the Holy Spirit to teach me about how the Father feels about me.
We also can learn these spiritual lessons in other ways as well. Now that my wife and I have been ‘empty nesters’ for quite awhile, our life has taken on a different ‘season’, yet those ‘parenting lessons’ keep coming. Some of these lessons are with our two small aging dogs, who are so loyal and loving. Charly is the older of the two, and showing signs of his age. His eyesight is clouded with cataracts and his teeth were a mess. So two days ago he had oral surgery and they removed all of his teeth. (I’m told that it is not that rare within terrier mixes) So I’m now on ‘nurse’ duty for the past several days, giving meds, and making sure he doesn’t cause any further damage to his hurting mouth. He does fine for most of the day until I feed him. After eating the pain in the mouth must be high because even with strong pain meds he still shakes and wants to paw at his mouth, at which point I have to pick him up and hold him tight keeping his front paws from his mouth. After feeding him we usually spend 10-15 minutes together in a tight embrace, while I speak gently and calmly telling him I love him and that he’ll be okay.
I am so reminded of my Heavenly Father’s love. I have often thought of all those precious saints of old, and the present saints going through terrible physical challenges, retributions, and tortures even up to death, and how they made it through those terrible times and excruciating pain. Now I think of how I hold Charly tight speaking love to him as he fights through the discomfort and pain. The Father holds us tight too when we are …going through those challenges beyond our capability. His love makes a way for us.. to endure.
This is why I teach so strongly about the vital relationship of the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. Intellectual knowledge and intellectual faith does not hold up so well against great physical pain. We HAVE to have His strength, that ONLY comes from Him. We need to be under ‘His wings’ of love and protection. We need His Voice to calm our bodies and souls. We need to learn to recognize His Voice. We need to listen and obey His Voice within us. Have you asked Him to immerse you with His Spirit? To fill you with EVERYTHING He has for you? Are there some elder saints that can help mentor you understand His Voice within you?
Things are getting more unstable in this world with each increasing day. The ‘birth pangs’ are definitely increasing in size, speed, and intensity. We will need to learn His arms will hold us … when we face terrible challenges. And that death is nothing to be scared of .. for it will truly release us into His everlasting arms .. forever.
Determine to walk with Him today, rather than asking Him to walk with you. Allow Him to guide you today rather than you taking the lead, always deferring to Him in all that you do.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6