Welcome to today's encouragement from our Daily Bread.

Our reading titled God's Protective Love was written by Patricia Raybon.

One summer night, the birds near our home suddenly erupted into chaotic cawing.

The squawking intensified as the songbirds sent piercing calls from the trees.

We finally realized why.

As the sun set, a large hawk swooped from a tree top, sending the birds scattering in a screeching frenzy,

sounding the alarm as they flew from danger.

In our lives, spiritual warnings can be heard throughout Scripture,

cautions against false teachings, for example.

We may doubt that's what we're hearing.

Because of his love for us, however, our Heavenly Father provides the clarity of Scripture

to make such spiritual dangers plain to us.

In Matthew Chapter 7, Jesus taught, watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's

clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. He continued, by their fruit, you will recognize them.

Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Then he warned us, by their fruit, you will recognize them.

The prudency, danger, and take refuge, Proverbs chapter 22, verse 3, reminds us, but the simple,

keep going and pay the penalty. Embedded in such warnings is God's protective love,

revealed in his words to us. As the birds warned each other of physical danger, may we heed the Bible's

warnings to fly from spiritual danger and into God's arms of refuge.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Matthew 7, verses 13 through 23.

Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

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