This Psalm is such a beautiful description of who our Lord is and His compassion for us. Can you imagine when He created the chicken (which yes, the chicken did come first, not the egg) the thought of this picture He had, not just of the chicks, but of His people, His children. Thinking about this excites me of who He is.
We get another glimpse of His heart when Jesus was entering Jerusalem for the last time:
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Matthew 23:37
A commentator that I like to read, makes a note about this scene:
"This heartfelt cry is another way to see that Jesus didn’t hate these men He rebuked so strongly. His heart broke for them. When we sin, God does not hate us; He genuinely sorrows for us, knowing that in every way our sin and rebellion only destroys our life. We should hope to share God’s sorrow for lost humanity." David Guzik
Now apply this to you: You are a sinner (Romans 3:23), but the Lord still loves you and longs to gather you to Him (John 3:16). The Lord does not delight in the destruction of anyone (2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:32). The Lord's cry at the end of verse 32 in Ezekiel 18 is this: "Repent and live!" This is the Lord's desire for us. He met with Cain before he murdered his brother Able in Gensis 4, pleading with him to do "what was right" (Genesis 4:7).
Many quote Jeremiah 29:11 thinking it means that we will all be prosperous materially on this earth. That is the last thing that the Lord has on His mind for us and it is nowhere near the heart of this verse. Sometimes He adds material blessings to our lives, but not always. He has a much better plan in mind.
This picture of a hen and her chicks tells us something about what Jesus wanted to do for these who rejected Him.
· He wanted to make them safe.
· He wanted to make them happy.
· He wanted to make them part of a blessed community.
· He wanted to promote their growth.
· He wanted them to know His love.
· This could only happen if they came to Him when He called.
This could only happen if they came to Him when He called. The Lord calls to each and every one of us through His creation (Romans 1:20) so that no one has an excuse of why they rejected the Lord. The Lord accepts all of us who recognize their sins (Matthew 5:3), weep over them (Matthew 5:4), and repent of them and seek righteousness (Matthew 5:6). No one is too far from the Lord for He is omnipresent. Have you done that? Do you need help finding the way? If so find someone you trust and who knows the Lord. If you don't have anyone close to you like that, don't hesitate to Contact Us.