Shadow of His Wings (part 2)

Here are the verses that speak of finding refuge in the shelter of God's wings. The first one is Boaz speaking to Ruth, blessing her for staying with her mother-in-law, even though it meant leaving her own people:

Ruth 2:12 “May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

The next four are all Psalms written by David:

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.

Psalm 36:7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 57:1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

Psalm 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. (while refuge is not actually mentioned here, I love the image of singing in the shadow of His wings!)

This last one may have been a prayer of Moses. That would surprise me for some reason. I guess I never thought of Moses as a poet. If you have a chance, read the whole Psalm. (The first verse of this Psalm is my favorite Bible verse.)

Psalm 91:2-4 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Think about the times that your children come and want to sit in your lap. It’s when they are hurt, or frightened, or just need calming down before going to bed. I remember once when M woke up from a nap to find that we had company. It was people she knew, but she was still uncomfortable. She would not get down off my lap. In fact she wouldn’t even turn around and look at them. She kept her face pressed into my neck for about an hour.

When you are hurt, what do you want? To put it simply, you want someone to kiss it and make it better.

Look at the 61st Psalm. Notice how it starts, then pay attention to how it ends.

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah
For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations. May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him. Then will I ever sing praise to your name and fulfill my vows day after day.

From Henry’s Concise Commentary on Psalm 61 (verses 1-4):

“David begins with prayers and tears, but ends with praise. Thus the soul, being lifted up to God, returns to the enjoyment of itself. Wherever we are, we have liberty to draw near to God, and may find a way open to the throne of grace. And that which separates us from other comforts, should drive us nearer to God, the fountain of all comfort. Though the heart is overwhelmed, yet it may be lifted up to God in prayer. Nay, I will cry unto thee, for by that means it will be supported and relieved. Weeping must quicken praying, and not deaden it. . . . The grace of God shall be his constant comfort.”

Take the time to look up each of the Psalms listed in this post. Each selection begins with trouble or pain but ends with praise or at least confidence of deliverance. I didn’t pick these verses because they fit that pattern. The pattern was suggested to me in Matthew Henry’s commentary for Psalm 61. Out of curiosity, I went back and looked at the verses about wings that I had picked out 3 or 4 months previously. The pattern is the same. And it’s not just David and the other Psalmists. Look at how Malachi puts it.

Malachi 4:2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.

Praise must follow deliverance just as surely as prayer springs from need. The group Third Day has a song "Your Love, Oh Lord" with this line:

And I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
And I will find my strength
In the shadow of Your wings

Under His wings is where we find our strength, but it's not where we use that strength. We'll look at that next time.

Mr. H's New Toy

Mr. H has a new toy. He just picked it up from the John Deere dealer in Lucedale. He stopped by my office to let me see and I took this picture. Somehow, all the guys here missed the fact that he brought it by. They were all disappointed that they didn't get a chance to ogle it in person (or should that be "in machine"?)

Here's what "new greenness" is replacing: "old redness."

The old red Wheel Horse is about 40 years old. It still runs well, just not speedily. The offset trail mower will be pulled behind the new Deere and move twice as fast, significantly cutting down on time spent mowing about 8 acres. Wheel horses are collectible, so we may be able to recoup part (a small part) of the price tag for the Deere.

I'm still on the old blue Ford, but my hours are reduced because Mr. H is now up to speed.

Instruments

I'm playing the offertory in church tomorrow morning. I knew the song I wanted to play. That just left the question of what did I want to play it on. Over the years Mr. H and I have accumulated quite a collection of flute-like instruments.

The silver one at the top is my oldest flute. While I played the flute all through high school and college, I didn't play this particular flute. That one fell off the back of my Mustang back in 1989 as I was driving to play with a church orchestra. It was a bad day and I'd rather not talk about it. My dad replaced it with the one you see. He was always taking care of stuff like that.

The four in the picture below are recorders. The big one is a tenor. My fingers are barely long enough to play it. It sounds really nice. The other 3 are all the same: soprano recorders. This is essentially the little flute you may have learned to play in elementary school. We actually have 2 more wooden ones: an alto which is smaller than the big one here, but bigger than the other 3. Then we have a smaller one. I'm not sure where the 2 missing ones are. I guess I need to look for them.


These are penny whistles or tin whistles. The red ones are made of tin, and the white ones are plastic. The red ones are a bit older and don't sound as good as the plastic, which disappoints me for some reason. The different sizes are in different keys: smaller=higher pitched, larger=lower pitched. Tomorrow I'm using the bigger white one to play "Come Thou Fount, Come Thou King."

This last one is called a Quena. It's a South American flute. Think of the song from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." We bought this while we were on vacation in San Antonio one Thanksgiving. I can't really get a good sound on it. I think my chin is too small to completely cover the end.
I know this is a long list but it doesn't even include Mr. H's 3 saxophones (1 tenor, 2 altos), my piccolo, L's clarinet, M's orchestra bells, or the keyboard also residing at our house.

Just a Day

Yesterday I headed out early on my way to Jackson to take care of some business with my brother. It was incredibly foggy when I started out.
Cruisin' the Coast is going on this weekend. I came upon this guy headed north. I guess he couldn't stay for all the festivities. I really like the trailer.

My brother and I met at 10 at the bank but weren't able to finish our stuff before another important appointment. Why I didn't take pictures I don't know, but luckily someone else did. Here are some links.

After another quick trip back to the bank, we were done there. I love my mom's banker, Terry. She and I claim to be sisters since we seemed to share my mother. Terry was not getting much help from her co-workers, but she managed to get us settled. My mom loved her and I do, too.

I had another appointment that afternoon with my brother, and then it was time to head home. But first I stopped by my mom's house to take a picture of this bedside table. I have a friend looking for some furniture to go in a new guest bedroom and wanted to see if she'd like this. (The lamp, however, is not part of the deal!)

M was spending the night with a friend and then going shopping today. She called me on the way home to see if I could bring her some money in the morning before they left. She and her buddy were shopping for Twin Day of Spirit Week. I don't know what they'll be getting, but it will match. I finally got home a bit before 9 p.m.

Taking the funds to M this morning, I stopped by Courtyard Lane for some cat food. The drivers of this vehicle were inside eating breakfast.


While I was away yesterday, Mr. H finished the swing set. The new one is wider and taller than the last one. The girls aren't so close together when they swing and the exhaust pipe of the tractor will fit beneath it when we mow the grass.





Update: my hips are too wide for this type of swing!

The Temple

I'm still reading through the bible. Currently I am in the 7th chapter of 2 Chronicles. Solomon has built the temple that his father David had wanted to build. The king and his people have prayed and celebrated and praised the Lord as His glorious Presence entered and filled the space. They have been together worshiping for 7 days and finally on the 8th day, Solomon sends them home, "joyful and glad in heart."

Then we come to verse 11 and following:

So Solomon finished the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart."

I have heard those verses about "if my people who are called by my name..." so many times. Usually the emphasis is on the humbling and seeking and turning. I don't believe I have ever remembered the context. The people weren't in trouble here. They had just had a week long, incredible celebration in the Presence of the Almighty God. And that same God knew what would happen to His people. He knew what they were capable of. So He was reminding their leader about the purpose of that special place.

This all happened in the Old Testament. That temple that Solomon built is no longer there, but there is a new temple. Paul talked about it to the church in Corinth: God's temple is holy and we (believers) are that temple.

Now look back at what the Lord told Solomon about the temple: all that can apply to you. His ears will be attentive to every prayer made in His temple (you). He has chosen His temple and set it (you) apart to be holy. It (you) are a place where His name will be honored forever. He will always watch over it (you), for it (you) are dear to His heart.

Did you hear that? You are dear to God's heart and He will always watch over you. And that's the reason that we should do all that humbling and praying and seeking and turning. I don't want to break God's heart. I would rather He smile while He is watching over me.

Shadow of His Wings (part 1)

When you are hurt, who do you run to? I know who my children run to. As an adult, where do you go? Do you go to a stranger or do you turn to the ones who know you the best? My husband hears most of my troubles. He is the one closest to me. Several years ago, he was sick and we didn’t know what the reason was. I needed to talk about it. He didn’t. Who did I call? I called my Sunday School teacher. I knew I could count on her to listen, and to pray for me. Now, I could have called any number of other women from church. There are plenty of other Sunday School teachers who are equally trustworthy to honor a request for prayer. Why do you think I didn’t call them? Because I don’t know them as well; because I haven’t spent as much time in their presence.

I said before that you can’t enjoy any of the shadows of God’s presence, unless you know the initial one: the shadow of the Rock (salvation). [here and here, if you missed it] Well, they sort of build on one another. Unless you know God personally, spend time with Him under the tree (or in the garden, or wherever your personal place with Him is) on a regular basis, you won’t come as easily under the next shadow: the shadow of His wings. It won’t be a place you run to immediately when you need to.

When you hear people talk about the “Shadow of His wings,” you invariably hear the comparison to mother hens gathering their chicks under their wings. I was born and raised in the city. I know nothing about chickens, except that roosters are noisy. My neighbor used to keep a whole flock (or whatever you call a bunch of chickens), and they made noise all day long. I don't know about you, but chickens don’t suggest comfort to me. The picture I want you to have is a lap. If you have children, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, think back to your own childhood. Remember your favorite lap: your mom’s, your grandmother’s, the lady next door. It’s safe, it’s comfortable, it’s always available. My mother-in-law has that kind of lap. Once, a friend of hers was bringing her little daughter to “big church” for the first time. The mom asked the little girl if she was going to lay on her lap and go to sleep. The little girl said, “No. Miss Wini’s!” My sister-in-law, at age 40-something, still sits in her mom’s lap at least once every time she comes home. That’s where I want you to put yourself: in a lap, with arms as soft as wings wrapped around you, your head on a shoulder.

Dictionary.com defines refuge as shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc.; a place of shelter, protection, or safety. The Bible speaks of God as a refuge many times. Next time we'll look at some of those verses.

The Week in Pictures

I've been keeping the camera in my purse all the time lately. You just never know when you might see something interesting.

Coming home from school last Wednesday, we got caught behind a line of peanut harvesters going a blazing 25 mph. We could only see the last one, but as they were turning the corner at the top of our hill, we saw that there were 5 in the line. Two days later I was on my way to pick up the girls from school and got caught behind the same machines headed out. These machines are 2 lanes wide and there is NO PASSING them on the roads around here. It's just part of living in George County.

This is Grisabela, our glamour cat, sound asleep on the couch. Quite often, she sleeps flat on her back with all 4 feet up in the air. Sunday afternoon, I found her like this: her bottom half is on her back, but her top half is on her side. How she sleeps like that, I don't know.

Our eldest was home this weekend. Fall break went through Tuesday. M, our middle daughter, wanted a new picture for her Facebook profile. She wanted them all to be in the picture. (Well, she wanted her older sister to be in the picture, anyway...) We were getting ready for L's first band concert, so they were all looking nice.

The concert was held in the Middle School gym. This year the 6th grade was kept at the local elementary school, so instead of one 6th grade band at the Middle School, there are 5. Mr. Slater, the band director, travels to each one, every day. Last night was the first time they had all been together. I think there were about 120 6th-grade musicians there. I couldn't get them all in one picture. Just imagine if they all stay in band throughout high school!

To cap off the musical evening, the high school band played their show for us. The guard did the standing version of their performance. I was excited to see rifles are making a comeback. You haven't seen them on the field for several years.

These last pictures are from the Fire Safety presentation for Mom's Day Out. The little man in the plaid shorts is one of my favorite people. He is a great conversationist and will try just about ANYTHING!! He was not afraid of Sparky like some of the little ones were. When the firemen demonstrated spraying the firehose, he was literally the first one in line to try it himself. When they sprayed the water from the top of the truck with the really big nozzle, creating what resembled rain, he was right there in the downpour. He's loaded with self-confidence. I wonder if he'll stay that way?