When fear causes hope to fade, flee to God, the refuge you can reach on your knees.

恐惧无望时，当祷告倚靠上帝，

因祂是我们的避难所。

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge. Psalm 91:4

祂必用自己的翎毛遮蔽你，你要投靠在祂的翅膀底下。-诗篇91篇4节

When I think of protection, I don’t automatically think of a bird’s feathers. Though a bird’s feathers might seem like a flimsy form of protection, there is more to them than meets the eye.

每当我想到保护时，通常不会立刻联想到鸟的羽毛。羽毛虽看似轻薄脆弱，却潜藏意想不到的保护功能。

Bird feathers are an amazing example of God’s design. Feathers have a smooth part and a fluffy part. The smooth part of the feather has stiff barbs with tiny hooks that lock together like the prongs of a zipper. The fluffy part keeps a bird warm. Together both parts of the feather protect the bird from wind and rain. But many baby birds are covered in a fluffy down and their feathers haven’t fully developed. So a mother bird has to cover them in the nest with her own feathers to protect them from wind and rain.

鸟的羽毛是上帝奇妙设计的例证。它有光滑的部分和蓬松的部分。光滑的部分有坚硬的倒钩，如同拉链的链齿能紧紧密合，而蓬松的部分则有助于维持体温。两者的结合，让鸟儿即使遭受风吹雨打时，也能保持身体干燥温暖。不过，许多雏鸟羽翼未丰，只有蓬松的羽绒。因此，母鸟必须让雏鸟靠在它翅膀底下，用它自己的羽毛来遮风挡雨。

The image of God “[covering] us with his feathers” in Psalm 91:4 and in other Bible passages (see Ps. 17:8) is one of comfort and protection. The image that comes to mind is a mother bird covering her little ones with her feathers. Like a parent whose arms are a safe place to retreat from a scary storm or a hurt, God’s comforting presence provides safety and protection from life’s emotional storms.

诗篇让我们看到一个很温馨的画面，如91篇4节说道：“祂必用自己的翎毛遮蔽你。”又如17篇8节说：“将我隐藏在祢翅膀的荫下。”这两节经文都生动地描述上帝的安慰和保护。上帝的同在，如同母鸟以羽毛遮蔽雏鸟，又如父母以膀臂保护儿女免受狂风暴雨的侵袭，能让我们在任何突发状况中，享受平安和护庇。

Though we go through trouble and heartache, we can face them without fear as long as our faces are turned toward God. He is our “refuge” (91:2, 4, 9).

人生纵有忧伤痛苦，但只要转眼仰望上帝，就不再恐惧惊惶，因为祂是我们的“避难所”（91篇2、9节）。

Father God, help me trust that You are bigger than any fear I have.

天父上帝，帮助我全然相信，

祢远超过我的惊惧忧虑。

Psalm 91New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 91:1 Hebrew Shaddai

2. Psalm 91:14 That is, probably the king

整理：于姊妹