Psalm 17:8-9
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.
Late one hot summer afternoon I was met by a wonderful surprise! I had just finished my work day. As I crossed the employee parking lot something amazing caught my eye. There, only a few feet in front of me, was a duck and her five little ducklings. What a strange, yet encouraging sight. Now I've seen my fair share of ducks before. They're quite common in our state. But I'd have to say that seeing them wandering around on hot pavement in the middle of the city isn't where I usually expect to find them.
You can learn a lot about God by studying His creation. Did you know that God, in His mercy, designed ducks without any nerves or blood vessels in their feet? So, the icy cold water where they are often found, or in this case, the hot pavement, really doesn't bother them. He also gave females dull brown feathers so that they can hide themselves and their young from predators by camouflaging themselves in their surroundings. Ducks can also detect predators in less than a second. They sleep with half their brains awake and sometimes even with one eye open! Ducks keep their ducklings together to protect them and often return to the place where they were hatched to start their own family. Anyone else noticing some similarities to how we as women raise our young?
The male, or drake, which is in charge of guarding the nest while the female is hatching their eggs, temporarily loses its colorful feathers and ability to fly. Isn't that just like God to not only give us a special purpose and equip us to fulfill it, but also remove any temptation to flee from it!
Just as an artist's work illuminates some aspect of their character, God's creation shines a light on His mercy, provision and protection. If things seem to be heating up in your world lately and you are feeling under attack, take shelter in the shadow of His wings. If He has put so much time and attention into the creation of these little ducks, how much more must He care about you, His child, and every last detail of your life!
~Up Close and Personal~
Have you ever just stopped to think about all the detail God wove into His creation? If not, take some time to do so now. Just think of it! He created everything! What an awesome God! As demonstrated in the characteristics of these little ducks, he is not only a detail-oriented creator, he is loving and compassionate! What do you think this truth means to you?
God cares about your every need! When you pray, tell Him everything! He wants you to share all that you are with Him. There is nothing concerning you that is too small to take to Him in prayer. Do your prayers reflect a deep level of honesty and intimacy with God?
Do you sometimes get stuck in a rut praying the same thing over and over?
Prayer is meant to flow like a conversation between two people. The more you share, the more you will receive in return. Trust Him with your every thought, your every need.
~Name It~
Read Psalm 17:8-9 aloud.
Have you ever considered yourself the apple of His eye?
God really is crazy about you! He delights in you! You are His most cherished creation! You are His beloved child! The next time you sit down to pray, talk to Him as a child does to their father.
~Claim It~
Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for all the times I chose to carry my burdens on my own. It gives me great hope to realize that you really do care about my every need, my every struggle. So often, I’ve withheld from you how I’ve really felt for fear of becoming a burden to you. I’ve tried to deny my needs because I saw them as weakness. Now I know that even my needs are some of the very details you created in me for your purpose. Thank you for showing me that you are always available and eagerly waiting to hear from me. You delight in me and in fulfilling my every need. Help me share all of my life with you in prayer.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
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