Earth's nests

(J.R. Miller, "Intimate Letters on Personal Problems" 1914)

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms!"  Deuteronomy 33:27

Embracing arms suggest a father's love, or the love of a very dear and trusted friend. It is very sweet for a child to nestle thus in the arms of father and mother.

The embrace suggests not only affection — but support, protection, shelter, and secure keeping. The strongest and gentlest human arms will some day fall away, unclasping their embrace. But the arms of God are "everlasting." Nothing can ever unbind them from us. Nothing can ever snatch us out of those arms!

We know that when once enfolded in the love of God — we shall be kept there forever. Whatever human arms may have dropped away from their embrace, or may hereafter drop away — you know that the arms of God will always enfold you in warm, tender, strong affection!

Another precious word in this old text is the word "underneath." The arms of God are always underneath. No matter how low one sinks away in suffering, or weakness, or pain, or trial — still and always, God's everlasting arms are underneath His redeemed people!

I want you to feel . . .
  that God's love is everlasting,
  that His grace is eternal,
  that His protection is something which never can be disturbed.

Earth's nests are all liable to be torn to pieces, for nothing in this poor world is stable and sure. Even the giant mountain peaks shall molder away. But the love of God remains forever the same. "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, says the Lord that has mercy on you."