December 18

Defended and Covered

Like birds hovering overhead, so the LORD of Hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will shield it and deliver it; He will pass over it and preserve it. — Isa 31:5 BSB

Like a mother bird hurries to protect her young, so does the Lord rush to defend His people. He doesn’t delay when He comes to provide for us or shield us from danger. Just as a bird flies swiftly to its nest, the Lord will come on wings like the wind to care for His chosen.

With wings spread wide, the mother bird covers her young in the nest, hiding them under her body. She shares her warmth with her chicks, making her wings their home. In the same way, God Himself becomes the protection of His people. He is our shelter, our home, and our everything.

The Lord will protect us, just as birds both fly swiftly and cover their young with tender care. He will do this again and again, and He will do it successfully. We will be defended and preserved from all harm. The Lord may compare Himself to birds, but unlike them, He is not weak—He is the Lord of hosts, all-powerful and almighty. Let this be our comfort: His great love is quick to help and sure to cover us. The wing of God is more swift and more tender than that of a bird, and we will trust in its shadow forever.