About Me

Andrew Schwab is a notable author, journalist and lead vocalist for the rock band Project 86. He has written for magazine publications including: Relevant, AP, CCM and HM. He is a published author with 4 available books, including his latest FAME IS INFAMY, available now on the store button above!

The Great Wing and The Fragile Hatchlings

Psalm 91:1-8

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that Jesus is not only our savior, but our protector. I know I forget this, because, let’s face it, life is constantly coming at us with new obstacles.

But here in Psalm 91 He promises to not only guard our souls, but also our mortal selves, if we remain close to Him. I love the imagery that the writer uses in these verses, because he describes God like a great bird, implying that we are his small, fragile hatchlings. So, when rain comes he literally covers us. And when we fall from the nest he flies down, snatches us up, and returns us to the safety of the nest. This is extremely comforting in uncertain times.

I need to be reminded that He cares about our safety, and that He does not desire that we experience unnecessary pains in this life–self-inflicted or otherwise. He promises to preserve us through difficult seasons. He tells us we do not have to fear the recession the world faces, nor anything else, because despite the forces of calamity and darkness which surround us, we will always be provided for and covered.

So, if these are His promises, how do we reconcile this with the very real difficulties we encounter daily? Does God not live up to his word when bad things happen?

I know, by faith, that God allows difficult things to happen to us for a reason, for a purpose. We must believe this, even if we do not always understand why he is allowing it at the time. He knows what is best for us, even if we do not.
And by faith, we must not forget that His ultimate plan is to draw us near to Him, which cannot happen without some difficulty in life. The fact is, we would not rely upon Him if life was always roses; we would only rely upon ourselves.

We must cling to the idea that even when challenges arise, God is allowing just enough tension in our lives to produce reliance upon, while still using His great wing to shield us from real destruction. He takes great pains to negotiate this balance, and rather than contradicting Himself, he is always drawing us closer to His embrace through the difficulties we face.

Share a story about a storm below, and tell us how he provided shelter throughout it…

November 4, 2011 · Bible Study · 8 Comments

  • Cate Bosse

    Amazing reflection and I must agree the Psalm above does paint a beautiful picture of Our God. In my life it seems the storm never really blows over, after losing his job of 20 years, my husband has been in and out of work so many times over the last 11 years, that I’m losing count. But from the very first time until the most recent which was back in March of this year, I never felt all that stressed, I felt comfortable in the knowledge that through my relationship with Christ, God would somehow provide for us and He has, even going so far as to provide benefactors, people who have actually given us money to help us out! (Although I’d have preferred a steady job for my husband.) But who am I to question God’s ways? But I pray and thank Him every day!

  • Cheneen Austin

    I am in a storm right now, my brother. I recently discovered through a standard eye exam that I may have some serious health problems. I can’t quite describe the whole experience except to say that it feels as if I’m in a whirlwind. Being a nurse and ministry leader at our church, I’m not used to accepting the assistance of others. So I kept quiet in this storm until last Sunday when our head pastor, from the pulpit, stopped our service to prompt us to share what God is doing in our lives and to praise Him. I had asked a few select people to pray for me and had gone to the alter to pray for healing and receive anointing but other than that had kept my needs to myself. God prompted me to get up and praise Him and to share about His faithfulness and to speak about His healing power. Of course, I wasn’t much for talking and, honestly, didn’t want to say anything about my struggle in front of our whole congregation. But as I sat there, I realized I had no right to say no as my life wasn’t my own, I was bought with a price, and that if God commanded me to praise Him, I better get up off my seat and do it. I spoke of my struggle but also of the healing that awaits at the end. I spoke of God’s mercy and love and mighty power. I spoke of my God, my Protector, and how He is faithful and just and how He will never take me to a trial and leave me. My church prayed for me and for my healing. I know that God is faithful because my CT results were negative yesterday ~ no brain tumor. Still no explanations and I have some trials to go through but God has proven Himself worthy time and time again of my praise and I will continue to do so until such time that I fall on my face at His feet and sing praises for eternity.

  • K Pagan89

    hi, my name is Kevin, I’m from Puerto Rico, right now literally I’m going through a storm, can u pray for me for strength and wisdom so i can handle this the best way with the help of God, thank you and God Bless You!

  • Jdrogney

    My Dad died in March, and my life has almost been a constant spiritual storm since then. Dad was the spiritual head of our family, and I leaned on him for everything, relying on his knowledge and support. I’m just now getting out on my own, and its extremely hard to go through the transition without him. This blog has honestly reminded me that its God’s wing I am sheltered under, not my Dad’s. Just because Dad is dead, doesn’t mean God has lifted his wing and left me uncovered. My Savior hasn’t left his post, and He never will, even when the loss itself doesn’t make sense to my natural mind.

      

  • Stephen M.

    God is good, all the time. His love endures, as does His glory. I don’t understand how we allowed the country, the world, and our own lives to become as polluted as they now are. We care so much for what we have or what we are “called” that we walk atop the corpses of those we condemn, ignore, hate, or all three. This is a call to us all to wake up and realize that God is a protector but only if we allow him to be. If we keep asking for destruction with our actions and lifestyles…God will finally let us have what we want.

  • http://twitter.com/Jric3r Jennipher Rice

    To prove your point look at the book of Judges (yes, the Old Testament people!). There are 6 cycles in which the Israelites get comfy cozy in their Promised Land when this happens they forget God, they forget He was the one who brought them from bondage in Egypt and parted the Red Sea for their safety. When they forget to cling to God they face destruction and peril from invading armies… They go into captivity for a period of time until they begin to remember that the same God that rescued them before gave His word to care for His FAITHFUL people. So they pray and plead and fast and God sends them a deliverer (judge) who rescues them from the invading forces… Of course this cycle happens 6 times in the Book of Judges but it shows the heart of us humans but even more importantly it shows the heart of God!

    Thanks for an inspiring blog Andrew!

  • http://ferrero51.wordpress.com Alex

    Bummed that I haven’t read this until now, but it’s incredibly timely. I’m in a massive marital storm right now, one that seems almost impossible to overcome. I took a long walk to cool down tonight, and saw a license plate frame that said, “No Worries. God’s got it covered.” After reading this, I exploded and started screaming at God.

    Timely verses though, Schwab. You’re a Godsend.

  • Joshua

    I’ve always been a strong dude but it doesnt even equal what god has done for my wife and i. In the middle of a tough time he held us together and eventually gave us our daughter! We bow our heads in awe of his glory but i finally opened my eyes and SAW what it meant to have our lord in our lives. Peace be with you brothers and sisters, and remember whatever you are going through, this too shall pass.