It was an anxious time. The nations were in turmoil and war seemed imminent again. Talk turned anxiously to civil defense and bomb shelters. The argument waxed warm: whether to build shelters against blast or radiation? What material to use? Hardened steel? Cement? Earth?
Mr. Ernest listened quietly until one turned to him and said, "Aren't you worried at all? What are you going to do?"
"Oh, I already have my shelter," he replied calmly.
"You do? What is it? What did you use?"
"My shelter is made of feathers."
"Feathers? Feathers? You can't mean it!"
"I do mean it. My shelter is this: 'He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.' Psalm 91:44He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:4). I couldn't be safer!"
Was that shelter only for him? No, when the Lord spoke to Jerusalem He said, "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.” Matthew 23:3737O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37).
It is told that once after a prairie fire the scorched body of a mother hen was found with wings outstretched. When she was lifted, all the little chicks ran out, safe and unharmed.
Even so the Lord Jesus went through the fire of God's judgment against sin that we might have His shelter. Now the only reason to be without that shelter, to face life and death and eternity unsheltered, is found in those sad, sad words: "Ye would not."