Hope KidsSample

Under the Wings of God

There are some special places where we can feel truly safe.

Having someone who loves you, like a mum, a dad or a grandparent, and who can give you a big hug, can make you feel safe. Curling up in a soft blanket on a cold day can be fun as well as helping to give a feeling of comfort and safety. That feeling is made more complete when you are in a place with people you trust who are always wanting your best.

Watching little chicks scurry underneath their mother’s wings at the sound of someone approaching or seeing them tuck up close instinctively as the sun sets, reminds us that God wants all His creatures to have a place to feel safe.

God’s people have always known that God wants to be a safe place for us. The people who wrote the Bible knew there would be days when they may not be able to curl up in a blanket or run into their parent’s arms. They knew they would need a way to remember that God’s love is always there as a covering, just like the hen with her chicks.

When the people of God prayed, they would put a shawl over their head that had tassels on each end, and they called these tassels "wings". Praying to God with this shawl was a way of reminding them that God was like a loving father or mother who wanted to love them. When we pray, God wants us to have that same feeling of coming under the wings of a bird, hidden and safe, of running into God’s arms and being loved.

Prayer

Thank you, God that I can talk with you wherever I am.

Thank you that I can remember when I have felt really safe

And know that this is how you want to me to feel always.

When I pray at night before I go to sleep, help me to remember

Your love is like a big hug.

It is like curling up in a soft blanket.

It is like taking shelter under the wings of a bird.

Amen