6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. 7 Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings 9 from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. —The words from Psalm 17:6-8
5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. —The words from Psalm 36:5-9 | 1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. —The words from Psalm 57:1
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. —The words from Psalm 61:4
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. —The words from Psalm 63:7
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 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. —The words from Psalm 91:1-4 |
In reading through the several Scripture passages at the beginning of this blog post you will quickly realize that the Psalmist has captured an image of God’s love and care for His children based on something that he has obviously observed in nature. The image of sheltering under the wings exudes a sense of protection, warmth, comfort, and also intense love. The God who created in His creatures the amazing instinct to provide care for the one’s who belong to them has that same instinct as a part of His divine nature.
Some time ago, a photographer captured a unique moment where a mother bird shelters her twin baby birds under her wings. If you read very many blogs, you will likely have come across this photo.
My friend, Judy, first called this photo to my attention. Searching for the origin of the photo, I discovered a number of Christian bloggers have used it to illustrate God’s love and care for His own.
The moment I saw the photo, a song from my youth came to mind. Ira D. Sankey wrote a tune to accompany these words by William O. Cushing:
Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
God lovingly waits for us to shelter under His wings. That’s where I intend to spend time today. I invite you to join me there.
Will you pray with me?
Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
Thank You for providing Your loving, protective wings under which we may find shelter during the storms of life. How we praise You for Your great love that You continually show us through Your consistent care.
Thank You, dear Father, for leading us by Your Holy Spirit along the pathway that You have laid out before us. And, thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1 comment:
Dean,
Thank you for posting this. The picture and your commentary is helpful as we go through difficulties. I've sent your blog to a few friends who are struggling, and they have come back to me with gratitude for your words. Many thanks for providing uplifting messages that we all need.
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