God Lessons From the Chickens

I've been wanting to tell you this little story for a few days, but first i need to explain a little bit about chickens.
I have two full grown roosters.

  

Rocky is the oldest, the head honcho.  He has proven himself as the great protector, food finder, and romancer.

Edgar is the junior rooster, most likely a son of Rocky.  He's really just reached maturity, and he's definitely still learning the ropes.  

Now i need to explain about the prime directive.  God made chicken brains very small, but He packed information in there very efficiently.  In the brain of a rooster, He packed the importance of watching for danger, looking for food, and in both cases, warning or calling to then hens to let them know what's going on.  If you ever see this exchange, it's very cute.

But most dominant in the mind of a rooster, is the prime directive, the importance of keeping hens fertile, which isn't nearly as cute.  Also, in the social order, if you are a rooster, is the importance of keeping underling roosters from fertilizing "your" hens.  What this normally means is that if Rocky sees Edgar trying to romance one of his hens, Rocky kicks Edgar's butt.  Poor Edgar.  He's really trying hard, but he has no idea what he's doing.  And besides, most of these hens are old enough to be his mother.  Actually, one of them IS is his mother.  (I know this seems disgusting, but in the chicken world, it's o.k.  God did it, not me.)  So the ladies don't have much patience for Edgar's learning curve, which often results in a squawking fit that can be heard all around.

Now to the real story.

When i let the chickens out of the coop in the morning, Rocky and Edgar both go into immediate "prime directive" mode.  I was standing outside, watching the chickens, when i heard the characteristic squawking of a hen protesting Edgar's advances.  I also saw that Rocky was very very closeby, and i watched, expecting Rocky to go over there and kick Edgar's butt.

To my surprise, Rocky just watched.  He stood still and looked at Edgar.  Then i noticed that all the hens, except the one who was protesting, were standing behind Rocky, in relation to Edgar.  And they were carelessly scratching around and being happy chickens.  A moment later, the protesting hen realized this too and made her way to the other side of Rocky....an area where Edgar didn't dare trespass.

Herein lies the God lesson.  God is very interested in keeping His people safe and protected and happy.  And there are many times when He will go to great lengths to kick the tails of those things that enter our lives to harass and torment us.  There are also times when He makes it easy for us to stay away from the tormenter by standing guard over our lives.  But when we choose to go outside of the protected area, we're a little bit on our own.  A quick run to the protected part of the yard (obedience) will keep us safe and happily doing the things we were made to do, instead of using up our energy protesting unwanted advances.

He who dwells 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 I will trust."  Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.  He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.  You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.  A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.  Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.  Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.  In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.  You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.  "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."
~ Psalm 91 ~