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Clipping the Wings


"His ways are not our ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9)

A friendÔÇÖs wife, Mary Lee recently moved her small chickens from the portable chicken coop (ÔÇ£chicken tractorÔÇØ) into the main coop and chicken yard.

The chicken yard is not covered. So, before she moved the birds into the chicken yard she clipped the flight feathers from their wings. She clipped just enough off the feathers to prevent flight.

Those feathers will not grow out again until the bird molts. If the birds flew out of the chicken yard into the garden, there would really be no problem. She would simply capture the bird and put it back in the chicken yard. But, there is an alfalfa field behind our house that we do not have easy access to. There is also a major coyote runway through that field.

If a chicken flew out of the chicken yard and over into the alfalfa field at night or early morning a coyote might get it before it could be rescued.

Therefore, Mary Lee performed a significant service to the birds by clipping their flight feathers. But they don't realize that. They are probably simply frustrated that, before they could fly around the chicken tractor and now they can't fly at all. They have no concept of the risk and danger that awaits them in the alfalfa field.

We are often the same way. God will ÔÇ£clip our wings" to keep us from doing an activity that would be very harmful for us, perhaps would terminate our life or the lives of others.

We may complain and struggle over something that has been removed, with no concept of the significance of the danger and the incredible blessing of God's care over us, even in the clipping of our wings.

The key to all of this is trusting God and believing that He really loves us, as shown by Jesus on the cross. If we are really convinced that He loves us, then we won't fight against His clipping of our wings.

If we firmly believe that "God works together in all things for the good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes" then we will rejoice in the clipping of our wings because we know that God is choosing to work it for our good.

This is why it is so very important to be studying the word of God every day and spending time with Him in prayer. Then we come to know Him and begin to grasp His character and His overwhelming love for us.

We begin to appreciate that "His ways are not our ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9) and we begin to trust Him. EVEN when He clips our wings.