It is written, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31) "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness."(41:10)
What the Father declared unto His children long ago remains true today. Renewed strength and stamina, shelter, and confidence are blessings God promised to those who follow His Son, Jesus Christ. And these are the blessings found in the strength and shelter of His "Hands and Wings." I've had the following article for a while, so I do not remember who gave it to me; but it contains lessons from which we can all learn.
An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of Godly wings: "After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under the dead mother's wings. The loving mother, had gathered them under her wings. She could have flown to safety but refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze arrived, and the heat scorched her small body, the mother remained steadfast. Because she was willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live." (The article went on to quote part of Psalm 91:4).
"He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler." (Psalm 91:4) It is sad how often we fail to tell the whole truth. Indeed, there is shelter under God's wings; but that shelter is for His children, those who obey the truth. A "fire," years in preparation awaits this world, and the only escape will be found in the hands, and under the wings, of God's Son Jesus Christ, the One who died for all men. But many will have rejected Him. This reminds me of the following passages.
"0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes." (Luke 13:34; 19:41,42)
"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless." (2 Peter 3:7-9,11,12,14). God answers the question, in the truth of His word; but how many heed the answer?
There is an insurance company commercial you may have seen on TV. During the commercial, the viewer reads: "When you spend your life in Good Hands, you end up in a good place." "Put yourself in good hands." This commercial contains spiritual applications that many fail to see.
1. Put Yourself in Good Hands: "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time." (1 Peter 5:6) You see, no one can do this for you. YOU must humble yourself; YOU must put yourself in God's "Good Hands." And you can accomplish this only by humbling yourself in obedience to His Word--not to man's doctrines, but to the Gospel of Christ. Certainly, many teach that we must believe in Jesus, repent of our sins, and confess that Jesus is God's son; but where do we read anything about praying ourselves into heaven? Sadly, that is what many teach. How does one get INTO Christ, under His wings, in His hands?
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into His death?" "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." (Romans 6:3,17). These brethren humbled themselves under God's mighty hand; they put themselves in Good Hands. Have you? "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!" (Hebrews 10:31)
2. When You Spend Your Life in Good Hands, You End up in a Good Place: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: And not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8) Paul "kept the faith;" he was faithful. "for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." (2 Timothy 1:12) Paul placed himself in Good Hands; he was sheltered under God's wings, and God had promised him eternal life, the same reward He promises to all. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Long ago, God proclaimed His love for His children. "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." (Exodus 19:4-6) Today, God declares His love for all souls. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:16-17,22)
Will we obey His voice "IN DEED?" Will we seek the shelter of salvation under His righteous wings? Will we allow His righteous right hand to guide us? Where will we be in the day of fire?
"For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God." (Ecclesiastes 9:1)