MEMORY VERSE: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Matthew 23:37
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 86-90, Proverbs 18
BIBLE STUDY: Genesis 34:1-2
The way God protects us, His children, can be compared to how animals protect their babies. I will never forget my experience with a dog that had just given birth. My mum sent me on an errand one early Saturday morning. When i got to her friend’s house, unknown to me her dog had just given birth, i opened the gate and walked in. Immediately her dog saw me, she started to bark and run towards me. (She probably thought i came to steal her puppies). I knew something was not right so i ran for my dear my life and the dog chased me. From that experience, i knew that animals, especially dogs, passionately protect their babies. Matthew 23:37 says: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Jesus compared the way He would have loved to protect Jerusalem to the way a hen protects her chickens under her wings. The mother hen keeps her chickens close to her because she knows that danger menaces them. She is aware that a cold night is a threat to their lives so she keeps them underneath her wings. She provides food, protection, warmth, and nurture.
How Mother hen protects her chickens is similar to how God protects His children. Actually, God does a far better job! The chickens respond to Mother hen’s love by staying close to her. Friend, the only way to respond to God’s love is by staying in His presence. Dinah’s parent did everything any parent could do to protect their daughter. She had everything a young girl could dream of. One day she decided to go out and have fun with the daughters of the land. She left her house, her refuge, God’s presence and strayed into strange territory. Shechem, an unbeliever, a wicked man, caught her and raped her. She had kept her flower to give it to the love of her life – her husband. Shechem, a man without a soul, forcefully took this flower from her. Dinah lost it because she strayed away from where God placed her. Many are beginning to stray away from God and His counsels. Many young men and women are straying away by watching pornography on the internet. Many sisters are beginning to stray away by taking marriage counsel from unbelievers. What do you expect to hear from them? Divorce your husband is all you will hear. Many brothers are beginning to stray away by asking their ungodly friends to show them how to make fast money maybe through fraud or something. Some have already strayed away like Dinah. I believe Dinah must have been straying out of the house to see the daughters of the land for a long time. She must have had one or two friends amongst the Hivites women. You may have strayed away too by committing fornication and adultery. You had better repent before Shechem grabs you. One of the Shechem of our time is STD.
WORD OF THE DAY: What is now sustaining you, out of the presence of God, is the mercy of God and that mercy will not last forever if you seize to return to where God placed you.
PRAYER POINT: Father, please keep me from falling.
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