THE HEDGE AROUND US

My recent experience from the animal kingdom has opened my eyes to a deeper level of understanding of the realities of the blessings of God on every son of God. I have a two dogs at home; one named ‘Dbanj’ and the other named ‘Do good’. They are of the Rottweiler breed and have been with me for well over one year. ‘Dbanj has very keen hunting skills while ‘Do Good’ is docile but more intelligent. Recently during the Christmas celebrations, a live chicken was given to me by an Aunt. Knowing the antecedents of ‘Dbanj’ with live chickens in the past, I did my best to separate the animals from getting in contact with each other. On the first night of the four-legged and two-legged animals in my house, I took the chicken and put it in the back of a pick-up truck at home. Then I opened the dog cage to allow them come out for their night duty that usually involves roaming the compound chasing rats, scaring away cats, and usually alert us to strange movements around the compound in the night season. Having kept the chicken at a place the dogs would be unable to get to it, I retired indoors for the night.

However, the following morning, I woke uo to the panicky noise of the chicken. I jumped out of my bed and ran outside to see what it was. I met feathers scattered all around the floor of my compound. Immediately, I knew the chicken was in danger. And it sure was. I found its wing held in between the teeth of ‘Dbanj’ and ‘Do Good’ as they struggled to see who has the rightful ownership to it. Stepping into the middle of this drama, I was able to rescue the chicken from their mouth before it was torn into two. Opening the dog cages, I shouted out “Inside” and they ran into their cage. My thoughts ran through possible solutions to the matter before me, which was, how to keep the chicken safe until Christmas day when it will be slaughtered and cooked. A thought sparked open in my mind. It was fantastic and novel — I will put the chicken in the space I raised the dogs as puppies since there was a metal hedge I put into place back then to keep them from roaming the compound as puppies.

So, there came the relocation of the chicken into the space and shielded by iron bars from possible invasion from the dogs, you know the dogs have outgrown the metal bars that there was no way they could get to the chicken as long as it did not squeeze itself out of the protective bars.. In order to be at rest, I decided to give my solution a live test. As soon as I released the dogs from their cage, they went searching for the chicken. Once they came to the area where I put it, they barked, pushed against the protective bars, jumped, and did all they could. There was no more access to the chicken.

What gave me instruction and wisdom however was the panicky mode the chicken went into at the sight of the dog. While they barked and pushed against the iron bars, it jumped, flew around, and at other times tried to squeeze itself through the iron bars in order to ‘escape’. I tried to calm it down, but I could not communicate with it. If only there was a way to let it know that her enemies could never get to her, that she needed not to fear or panic. Suddenly I understood why God had to become a man in order to be able to save us. Why the Son of God had to become the Son of Man. But this actually was by the way. What struck my thoughts came to me suddenly as I reflected on this scenario before me. My mind was jolted by the sudden recall of Satan’s statement about Job as he conversed with God –

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hand and his possessions have increased in the land.’ — Job 1:8–10.

Brethren, I realized that our life is hidden with Christ in God, and that was what the interaction between my dogs and the chicken was teaching me. God indeed has built an hedge around us but few realize it talk less of living by this truth. My dog was illustrating the enemy, the chicken was illustrating the believer, and the iron bars illustrated the hedge around us. This hedge is the truth of God, His living Word, for the Psalmist said –

As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Psalms 18:30 | NKJV

We know that the Word is living and powerful. The Word is our shield. The following points are important to take away from this discuss –

Are you like the chicken, panicking because you fail to realize the shield and hedge God has set around you and all that is yours?

God is able to keep and take care of His own, so, let us fear not. The greater one is in us?

Like the chicken was trying to squeeze itself through the hedge in a bid to ‘escape’ as it panicked at the presence of the dogs, are you breaking the Word and commands of God concerning your life because you just want to get out of all this trouble anyway? Your panic is just setting you up into the hand of the enemy. Be anxious for nothing.

By the way, the chicken as since been killed and eaten on Chrismas day. Thanks for reading.