Covered

Have you ever found yourself in a season of your life or in a particular situation where you felt vulnerable and exposed – unsafe on the inside? Perhaps the people who were supposed to protect you and cover you in your life were absent or unable to do so, due to circumstances in their own lives. If this was the case, you may have grown up feeling rejected, unworthy or exposed and fearful of life and its challenges.

Recently, I was thinking about the fact that God is a God who covers us. We read in Psalm 91:4, ‘He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge’. And in Psalm 17:18, we read, ‘Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings’. There are many scriptures that speak of the fact that God is a safe place and His heart is one of protection and covering.

Although God is a God who covers us, there are times when God will expose rather than cover. The enemy loves to keep us in a place of darkness. Where there are things that aren’t yet under God’s authority in our lives, we’re vulnerable to the influence of the enemy in these areas. Often, we may feel ashamed of a weakness or something that we did in our past and try everything to keep it covered and hidden. When the enemy exposes our weaknesses, it’s in order to embarrass us, shame us and bring us down. However, when God exposes things, it’s always to bring light to darkness.

When God exposes, it’s never His intent to shame us or to cause us to feel unsafe. His heart is to heal, restore and bring it under His rightful authority and divine covering. It can be compared to cutting yourself on a piece of rusty wire. When this happens, it may look like a good idea to stop the bleeding and cover the wound. However, unless that wound is cleaned, disinfected and treated correctly, covering it will eventually lead to the wound festering and in the long run will have life threatening consequences. As painful as it may be to clean and disinfect the wound, this will lead to healing. In the same way God wants to open up, clean and ‘disinfect’ the places of darkness that so often bring wounding to our hearts.

How wonderful to know that the God we serve is a loving Father whose heart it is to cover us and protect us, and that the intent of His heart always is to restore and heal. Let’s trust Him to gently expose the things in our lives that need His light and life.

Prayer: Father, how wonderfully comforting to know that I’m safe in Your hands. Thank You that You’ll never leave me vulnerable and ashamed. Thank You that I’m the apple of Your eye and that You always discipline me with love and tender mercy. Thank You that I can always find refuge under the shadow of Your wings. I love you, Lord. Amen.