Under His Wings

Okay, children, you've been sitting so nicely listening to such a wonderful message. Maybe you didn't understand everything, but one day you'll have a hunger and you'll want to know more about it. But how many of you like songs? All the children like songs. I like songs too. So today I'm going to talk about another of my favorite songs. I'll put it up now. Earlier in the first part of the meeting, we heard a brother speak about children who have sore throats. You heard that? I heard that. And you think of a time when you had a sore throat or a high fever or you had some injury, you broke your bones or you had a high, you're lying down in bed feeling so sick or your mouth was sore, something happened, some kind of flu or virus going around and you got sick and you're in bed. And then something wonderful happens. Your dad or mom comes with a nice soft blanket, puts it over you, gives you something nice to drink, maybe something hot or something cold, puts a nice cold cloth or towel on your forehead and you feel so good. And snuggles you, puts a blanket and snuggles you and you feel so good that mommy and daddy have done that and you just sleep and you wake up feeling so much better. Have you felt like that? I felt like that many times when I was small. My dad and mom used to do that for me because I used to get ear infection and it would come every now and then, especially if I washed my hair and then I had this nice treatment from my dad or mom. So there's a verse here, we're going to sing about that. And also I want to tell you of another thing we had in our home growing up. We had chickens. Have you seen, have you been to homes or farms where there's little chickens, mom and hen and baby chickens? Okay. We used to have chickens in our home growing up and the little chicks would go around with their mom around them and the mom would teach them how to scratch and find some bugs or something nice to eat or some grain and she'd make that cluck cluck sound and the chicks would be around there. And sometimes the mother hen would make a different type of sound and all the chickens would come running towards her because they understood that language which the mom hen was telling. They come and you know what they used to do? They creep under the mom's wings. And you'll think that how can that mom, mother hen hide so many chickens, maybe three or four or ten. One time we had a dozen, twelve chickens and they all get under the mother's wings and they hide there. And you know why the mother made that sound, can you guess? Because that mother hen with her sharp eyes saw somewhere up in the sky, right up in the sky, a bird, we call it a predator, it means a bird which likes to catch these chickens, these baby chickens and eat them up or maybe it's a cat or a coyote. We didn't have that in India, hiding in the bushes. They want to come and get one of the chickens which is far away from the mother. They look for which is the chicken which is going away from the mom, mother hen, I'm going to catch that one and grab him and take him away. And God always used to, and Jesus also, used to use simple illustrations like that to tell how much God loves us. You know God is watching over us and in this song we are going to sing, we are going to sing how God wants to protect us, just like that blanket or that wings I was telling you about, God wants to protect us but sometimes some children, they don't want that protection. As they grow up, they listen to their friends and their friends tell them, don't obey your daddy and mommy, you're big enough or they say, you can do what you like and especially in school. So it's very important, children, it's very important to give your life to Jesus when you're young because you have that in your heart, you know Jesus is living in your heart and you grow to love him and you experience him and even when you grow up and you go to college or you leave home or in some place, you're in somebody's house, some friend's house and your friend's family is doing something which your mom and dad wouldn't like but in your heart, Jesus tells you, that's not for you. Remember what your mom and dad taught you, you should do different. Okay, so I want to read a few verses from the Bible, which you, maybe when you grow up, you can listen or maybe you can memorize it. I hope you can memorize. It's in Psalm 91 and it's about these very things I was talking to you about. Psalm 91, I'll just read a few verses, verse 1 says, he or she, even if it's a girl, you can say she, who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. So, that's just what I was telling you. If you dwell, that means if you want to live under God's protection, you'll always remember in the shadow, you'll always want to dwell, you want to live in the shadow of the Almighty. That's a big thing but it's just what I was telling you about. Then verse 3, it says, 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, pinions means like the wings, I was telling you about the wings. He'll cover you with his wings 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. You know, some children are afraid at night. Suppose there's a thunder or something, strong wind. In Denver where my other son lives, there used to be strong winds and the whole house you shake, the windows would shake and sometimes the little children get a little frightened, they go to their mom and dad. You don't have to be frightened or the arrow that flies by day. You know who sends those arrows, spiritual arrows? That's the devil. He tries to shoot you and make you not fall down and die, but make you go away from God. Some poison comes in, make you forget about God, make you disobedient, but he will protect us. And verse 6 says, you don't have to be afraid of the pestilence that stalks in darkness. Pestilence means disease. So many diseases, you know, COVID-19, all these diseases are coming. We don't have to be afraid because who's protecting us? If we dwell in the shadow of the almighty, who's protecting us? God. God is protecting us so we don't have to be afraid of the destruction that lays waste at noon. All those are big words, but we don't have to be afraid of that. And that's how we can learn from the mother hen, how she takes care of the of the baby chickens. So, what do we learn from your children? Keep close to Jesus. Ask Jesus to come into your life and keep close to him during the day. Every time you think of him, you say, Lord, I want to be your child. I want to abide. I want to live close to you. I want to live with you. And don't leave the Lord. Whatever friends may say, or even if you go visit some relatives who are not following the Lord, they may tell you, oh, you forget about it. My mommy allows me to do that. Listen to what we hear in the church and what your dad and mom have to tell you to do. Now, I want to give a small testimony about the song before we sing it. Okay, let me first read the song and then I'll tell you my testimony. Why I like the song. It's a very dear song to me. Those who can read, even if you can't read, you follow the words there. Under his wings, I'm safely abiding. Though the night deepens and tempests are wild. Tempests means all storms are coming. Still, I can trust him. I know he will keep me. Who will keep me? The Lord. He has redeemed me. You know what's the meaning of redeemed? He has bought me by his precious blood. I belong to him. He has redeemed me and I am his child. Then the chorus is under his wings, under his wings. Who from his love can sever? What's the meaning of sever? Separate us. Who can cut us off from God's love? Nobody. Because under his wings, my soul shall abide, safely abide forever. Second verse is under his wings. What a refuge in sorrow. That's what I'm going to talk to you about my testimony. How the heart yearningly turns to his rest. Often when earth has no balm. Balm means comfort for my healing. There I find comfort and there I am blessed. Under his wings. Oh, what precious enjoyment. There will I hide till life's trials are over. Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me. Resting in Jesus, I am safe evermore. Now let me give you my testimony. I heard the song when I was a student in medical school. I was in my third year and I heard this beautiful song sung by one of my friends in one of our Christian meetings. And just at that time, I was facing a big trial in my life. For me, it was a big thing. Because at that time, my mom wrote to me that she had some sickness which had come, which she was facing. And she said she took the treatment from her hometown and it disappeared and it recurred. That means it came back. She was having that trouble again. So I knew it was something serious. So I told her, you come to this medical school and we'll get you treated because there are very good doctors here, good surgeons. And I know them. There's a fine Christian doctor. I'll take you to him. So she came. And sure enough, after the doctor examined, he said it is cancer. And you know, when cancer has come and it has recurred, if it has come again, it's very serious. So I knew this is not a small thing. And my mom kept asking me. I said, no, it's OK. There's good treatment here. Don't worry, don't worry. But deep in my heart, I knew it's not going to be easy for my mom. So the doctor posted her for surgery. And the surgery took five hours. And she had to have blood transfusion. Some of my uncles donated blood for her. And we were sitting outside. My dad and I were sitting outside that operation theater. We were both very quiet. My dad must have been thinking about what things were happening at home. We had a lady to look after. By the way, I'm the oldest of nine children. Three of us were in college. The rest of us were in school. And my youngest brother was like her. Hadn't even started going to school. She was at home. So my dad must have been thinking, what's going to happen? Those five hours, more than five hours, we were both very quiet. We prayed together, but we were very quiet. And I was thinking, what's going to happen? This cancer has recurred. And if my mom dies of cancer, what's going to be happening to my family? Will I be able to finish my studies? Or will I have to go back home and help to look after the younger ones? And help them to be on their own feet? You know, go to college and be on their own feet? Forget about marriage. I knew that nobody will want to marry a girl who has eight younger ones to take care of and no mother. So I put marriage aside. And I said, Lord, I'm prepared to do your will. And then this verse, this song came to me. It came like such a comfort right into my heart. Lord, you shelter me under your wings. Whatever happens in my home, to my mom, whatever happens, I'm sheltered by you. I want to be your child. And I'm safe there. No harm can come to me or anyone in my family because I'm abiding. I'm living under your wings. And you're taking care of every situation. And you'll take care of my mom. You'll take care of my family. I'll leave it and I'm resting in you. That's why it says, oh, what precious enjoyment. There will I hide till life's trials are over. Sheltered, protected, no harm can harm me. Resting in Jesus, I'm safe evermore. But let me tell you the end of the story. My mom didn't die of that cancer. She lived for another 40 years. She lived for 40, more than 40 years. And she saw us all married. And she saw all the grandchildren. And she died of something else, but not of that cancer. But every time I sing the song or every time sometimes I think of home, I think how God used the song to bless me and strengthen me and encourage me to remain under his wings. I'm old, but all of you who are younger, children, take this message. Don't go away from the wings of our Heavenly Father. Stay there. Whatever others may tell, the devil may tell, friends may tell. And this world is going so fast into away from God. But stay under those wings. You'll be protected. You'll be safe and be with the Lord forever. God bless you.