Back in the days the fashion trend was wearing oversized coats, I am not even sure if it was a fashion trend, but I did see a lot of people wearing baggy clothes and let’s just say I joined the band wagon. Comparing the trouser suits back then and in particular the jacket, it honestly could fit two people, that’s just how big they were and for what it’s worth, it was good while it lasted. On the flip side of it, wearing a coat of someone bigger than you, you get to realize that not only does the coat protect you from the cold, but it gives you a much better covering – for lack of a better word, it engulfs you – this is who the Lord is to us, He covers us.
Psalms 91 is an intimate personal prayer that Moses wrote on the day he completed the building of the Tabernacle in the desert. The first verse describes Moses’ own experience entering the Tabernacle: “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. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”
What is the secret place of the Most High? Am certainly no Theologian, but I personally believe the ‘secret place’ is when we spend time with God in prayer. Am not talking about the 1-minute prayer that we make in a hurry, am talking about taking time alone, locking yourself in a room and spending time with your Heavenly Father, just worshipping and loving on Him. It’s a time where we are vulnerable with God, cry out to Him, sing songs of worship or even lay prostate before Him or just be silent waiting to hear from Him. As Moses writes, those who dwell here, not only will they abide (accept or act in accordance) under His shadow, but they know who God is to them – a place of refuge and fortress where they can hide from all the danger. But the highlight comes in verse 4, “He shall cover you with His feathers , He will shelter you with His wings” (NLT). You see anytime that someone covers you, they take personal responsibility on your behalf, or like how we like to say it, ‘they got you.’ God is many things to us, but the covering that He gives us is more than enough – it’s all we need.
You see when you are on your own thinking that you are living life with a big spoon and want nothing to do with God, you are actually naked and all bare for anyone and everyone to attack you from any angle – there is no covering over your life. On the flip side of it all, when you have Christ, you are covered not only with His precious blood, but the Bible actually says that God Himself will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find shelter. Can you picture that for just a minute? Imagine God Himself covering you from all the wicked schemes of the evil one. He doesn’t wait for the attack to happen for Him to cover you, He covers you before the attacks happen, this is who God is, our refuge (shelter) and fortress (exceptional security/stronghold).
When I went to give birth to my last-born son in 2019, I had a near death experience which I only came out off because of God’s covering over my life. I gave birth normal and minutes later, I started feeling contractions again to which my mum made a joke of ‘what if there was another baby inside.’ When the doctor checked, I had several tares with a major one on the uterus and I had to be rushed into theater for them to stitch it all together. My mum tells me that at one point during surgery, the doctors were contemplating removing my uterus in order to save my life, to which my husband gave them a go ahead, but God is the one who gave the doctors wisdom into my predicament. Let’s just say that 6 hours later, having lost so much blood, I came out alive and victorious and that victory belongs to Jesus Christ, He covered me.
It all came down to a place whereby I had absolutely no control over my life only God did and I had to trust and have faith that He’s got me! Three days after surgery my doctor told me these words that I will never forget as long as I live, “Cynthia, is that you sitting down? Medically speaking you were not meant to live.” He then went on to tell me what they did and how they had tried everything and nothing, absolutely nothing was working to the point they all stared at me wondering what to do next, and that is when God reminded them of a doctor who had performed a similar surgery and when they called him, he was in the parking just about to go home at 1am in the morning. Is that a coincidence? Absolutely not! I believe God is the one who kept this particular doctor in hospital so that he would help me – that is how He works in mysterious ways.
How do we know that God will cover us? What is the guarantee? Psalms 91 “His faithful promises are your armor and protection,” which means we can take Him on His Word! Therefore, you need not be afraid of “the terrors of the night nor the arrow that flies in the day.” Yes, evil exists and that’s because the enemy is busy working behind the scenes trying to make sure that things don’t go according to God’s plan, but God on the other hand is re-assuring us that no matter what the enemy tries, He’s got us on the palm of His hands, and this means, “we shouldn’t dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.”
If God was ever to open our spiritual eyes for us to see what happens, I honestly think we would faint, like literally. He’s protected us from so many things of which, if we got a chance to see, we would be in awe and our hearts would be grateful. He only asks us for this one thing – get to know Him and receive His only Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. “If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!”
Remember, God doesn’t go back on His promises, He remains faithful even when we are faithless. He wants to cover you with His feathers, He wants to shelter you under His wings, and He promises you this, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my Name. When they call on me, I will answer. I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” So go ahead, take Him on His word and see if He won’t deliver you – He’s a Man of His Word.
God bless you!!
Cynthia Gitonga Blog 