“Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37

Just a few nights ago I was awakened at 3:30 in the night. When I woke up this scripture came to me and brought back a memory of when I was a little girl growing up. I was in the backyard playing. We had a mother hen with a large brood of chicks. As I was playing everything seemed fine until I heard the mother clucking in a very loud way that I had never heard before. I looked up to see if she was possibly hurt. What happened next shocked me. She was standing there and had opened her wings all the way out. Her clucking loudly was a warning signal to her chicks. At that moment her little chicks were all scattered at quite a distance from her. They all came running full speed towards her peeping as loud as mom was clucking. 

It was then that I noticed a very large hawk circling up above us. Within seconds those chicks were at her side and she lowered her wings around them. I could not see or hear any of them. They had completely disappeared under their mothers wings. I couldn’t understand how so many chicks could fit under her and not be seen. It seemed impossible. I had never seen anything like that before. 

I remember at the time it really struck me. I was in awe of the love the mother hen had for her chicks. They were completely protected under her wings. The hawk flew away seeing that he didn’t stand a chance. 

When I was awakened in the night with that scripture and the mother hen scene I began interceding in prayer for one of my sons that he would run to the Father. He lives quite a distance away. I was able to see him just recently. Talking with him I found that he was still trying to stay in control and figure things out for himself. He was still trying to protect himself. I pleaded with him to release it all and run to the Father. Let Him be in control. Let Him figure things out and protect you with a protection that only He can give. 

Just as that mother hen was with her chicks, so our heavenly Father wants to give us the same. He is always fully in control of our situations and longs for us to run under His protective wings!

Father please help us as the enemy circles above us, to run under your protective wings and trust You with our lives. 

“You are my Hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.” Selah Psalms 32:7