In the shadow of His wings

I’m driving my daughter to school and Spotify shuffle yet again chooses a song by Dana Dirksen that repeats: “Hide me under the shadow of your wings, Psalm 17 verse 8”. And just like that, it’s stuck in my head for the next 24 hours! My daughter sings along and I’m so thankful for Bible songs that help her learn and remember Scripture.

Later that day, at family worship after our evening meal, we read another Psalm together. There it is again, the concept of being under God’s wings. My daughter gasps in excitement: “it’s like in the song!”. And she’s right. I’d never noticed before just how many references there are to God’s wings. I decided I had to research it a bit more.

Have you ever noticed the phrase "shadow of your wings" or "under his wings" recurring in the Bible? Here are the references in the book of Psalms, alone:

• Psalm 17:8 (NIV): "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me."

• Psalm 36:7 (BSB): "How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings."

• Psalm 57:1 (NIV): "Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed."

• Psalm 61:4 (NKJV): "I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings."

• Psalm 63:7 (BSB): "For You are my help; I will sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings."

• Psalm 91:4 (NIV): "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."

This imagery evokes the picture of a bird sheltering its young under its wings, providing safety and warmth, even if it requires self-sacrifice. In the biblical context, it signifies God's fierce, protective care and the security and comfort found in His intimate presence. And it must be an important metaphor for us to grasp as it is mentioned so many times.

Here are some other mentions across Old and New Testaments:

• Ruth 2:12 (BSB): Boaz blesses Ruth by saying, "May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

• Matthew 23:37 (NKJV): Jesus uses the same imagery to express His love for a rebellious people: "How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"

• Deuteronomy 32:11 (NLT): "Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them up and carried them safely on his pinions."

Can you think of anywhere else where wings are mentioned in the Bible? I’ll give you a hint: cherubim. Culturally, when the Israelites thought about wings, they would remember the golden cherubim wings that stretched over the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. These wings signified the safety found in the literal presence of God.

That is a lot of references to God’s wings! It seems like a very poetic and unusual choice of metaphor to describe the Almighty God. Maybe it is odd to think of God’s maternal protectiveness, and yet we see that this is His character. He fiercely defends us like a mother bird defends her vulnerable young from predators or extreme weather. Just imagine all the things God has likely protected you from every day as you have gone about your life. Perhaps it is easier to think of God as Father than Mother but, we can know both to be true.

Being in the presence of God is like resting in a safe and comforting place. Can you think of anywhere safer and more nurturing for a little chick than under its mother’s wings? It’s warm, cosy and quiet there. It is a favoured place where the chick can fully rest, trust and surrender.

Spending time with God is like sitting under his wings. How do you feel in His presence? Have do you experience His intimate love, rest and protection? It is possible to encounter the maternal qualities of God daily as we walk with Him and spend quality time with Him, in this Word and prayer.

I love that there is an invitation attached to these verses about God’s wings. The Matthew verse shows us how much God longs to gather other ‘chicks’ under His wings and how distressed He is that they do not want to experience the comfort and safety He offers. I imagine He feels the same the same when the people we are trying to reach reject Him. He longs to redeem them like He did Ruth. Like Boaz extending his cloak over Ruth, accepting her marriage proposal and choosing to become her kinsman redeemer, our caring God longs to buy back lost and vulnerable people from darkness. He wants to give them a hope and a future and protect and nurture them.

Nothing escapes God’s sight: “the eyes of the Lord are in every place keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). I imagine Him hovering like a bird over every place, longing for people to realise their need for His comfort. When they do, He swoops down in a flash and gathers them into the safety and protection of His wings.

I’ve heard it said that we are His hands and feet on the earth – but maybe we are an extension of His Wings too? As we protect the vulnerable and extend His love to others, we are inviting them to join us under His wings.

What a privilege to be safe and secure and have the joy of inviting others in too.