Covered In Feathers

In the early days of our country to be covered in feathers meant that you were in serious trouble.  Being tarred and feathered was a very shameful thing.  Its hard to believe that anyone would want to be covered in feathers.  But as we look to scripture we find that being covered in feathers isn’t such a bad thing after all.  In Psalm 91 we are told God will cover us with His feathers and under his wings we will trust.  It is also in this passage that we are encouraged to dwell in the secret place of the Most High and also to abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  It is in that place that we can be covered by His feathers.

But how do we find that secret place to dwell in?  I remember as a small child finding a hiding place.   It wasn’t unusual for me to be in trouble for something I had done or was framed for.  I knew that when I was found I would be in trouble.  This particular time I wasn’t in trouble but my dad was getting ready to leave.  Because most of my interaction with my dad, when he was around, revolved around punishment I didn’t really want to see or talk to him.  I took refuge in the secret place I had found.  That secret place happened to be under the bed in my older brother’s room.  So there I hid, quiet as a church mouse, hoping my secret place wouldn’t be discovered.  I remember hearing mom and dad calling out my name all throughout the house trying to find me so dad could say goodbye.  I had no interest in talking to him so I never said a word.  Finally mom went so far to say that I wasn’t in any trouble and dad only wanted to say goodbye before he left.  I didn’t care.  I didn’t want to talk to him and even more, I didn’t want my secret hiding place to be known.  It was my fortress, my refuge, my place of safety. 

God wants us to find that place of safety in Him.  God longs for that intimacy with us that our innermost being longs for even if we don’t realize what that longing is.  There is a secret place God has reserved for each one of us; a place where we can be who we really are.  There is no need to be strong, no need to live up to anyone’s expectations.  We can be completely safe and fully protected from anything the world might try to throw at us.  It is in that place of refuge where we can become intimate with the living God.  Where we can know and be known by Him.  So many people never get there because they never really get hold of the fact that we can trust God with everything.  We don’t have to be in control, God can be.

Here comes the difficulty.  Dwelling in the secret place of the Most High is not an easy thing.  It is not something that can be microwaved in our lives.  We must learn to enter in to the secret place.  It will take time for us to learn to abide under the shadow of His wings and develop that intimacy.  In the same way we cannot immediately have true intimacy with a person, intimacy with God takes time to develop.  Satan will try to convince us that we can never have that kind of relationship.  He will lie to us and make us think there is something wrong with our relationship with God.  When the truth is we just need time to grow.  We need patience and perisistence and determination to get there.  Remember, it’s a secret place.  We need to seek God and allow Him to lead us to that secret place.  Don’t get discouraged but keep seeking.  Jeremiah 29:13 sums it up well, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart.”