Under His Feathers

Objects: Beanie Duck, down feathers & flight feathers, picture of nest & eggs

How many of you enjoy watching birds? Do you have a bird feeder? Bird houses? Just this week, I found a bird’s nest under my rose bushes. What kind do you think it was?

It was a mallard duck’s nest, and there were 11 eggs in it! As I looked at that nest, I was reminded of a Bible verse that tells us something about what God is like. Let’s see what it says about God...and about ducks.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.... He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust...” Ps. 91: 1,2,4a

I’ll bet you never thought of God having feathers, did you? Of course, He doesn’t really have feathers, but King David used a bird and its feathers to describe the way God protects and cares for His people.

Let’s see how a duck is a little bit like God.

The duck takes great care to make a nest in which to lay her eggs. She even pulls out soft, tiny down feathers from her own breast to make a cushion under the eggs. After she lays the eggs, she carefully sits on them to keep them warm until the little ducklings hatch. When she has to leave the nest to get food for herself, she carefully covers the eggs with...guess what? Feathers!

How long do you think the duck will have to sit and wait for her eggs to hatch into ducklings? (3-4 weeks) That’s a long time, isn’t it, but she knows that the eggs have to stay warm or they will die. She also knows that there are animals that like to eat duck eggs, so she sits on the nest every night to protect the eggs from danger. Her job isn’t over when the ducklings break out of the eggs, either. The same animals that like to eat eggs, like to eat little ducks. When she is taking her ducklings to find food and water, she will watch for hawks who might swoop out of the sky to attack her little ones. If a hawk appears, the ducklings will run right back under their mother’s feathers, so that she can protect them.

So, how is a duck like God?
God knows just what is best for us, just as He has made the duck to know that her eggs need warmth and a protected place
Jesus (who is God) loves us so much that He has sacrificed Himself for us, just as the duck has sacrificed her own warm down feathers to keep her eggs warm
God is very patient—even when we sin, He is willing to forgive us—just as the duck patiently sits and waits for nearly a month for her babies to hatch out
God is our strong protector—no matter what we have to face on this earth, He is always the place where we can run and hide—just as the ducklings can run to hide under their mother’s wings when danger comes close

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust...” Ps. 91:4a