Under His Wings

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

Psalm 91 is sometimes called the “Soldier’s Psalm” or the “Protection Psalm.”  More than a million camouflage bandanas bearing Psalm 91 were distributed to American troops during the Iraq War.  I am not a soldier by any means, but spending the past month in this Psalm has been comforting.

As an antidote to the series I did depicting various types of anxiety, this piece is meant to depict the rest that comes from being settled, safe, protected, nurtured, and loved.

The Psalm begins with an invitation and a reassurance: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” This is the pivotal point for all the reassurances that follow; we are invited to abide, dwell, or settle in God’s presence. The word shelter used here is not a house or building; in Hebrew, it means a hiding place. It’s a secure, protected space because God, the Most High, is there. Because the imagery later uses a bird, I visualized this as a hidden, secure spot for a nest.

Resting, relaxing, and settling into a peaceful state in the Almighty’s shadow implies nearness to his presence, since shadows are not detached from their source.

My favorite line from this Psalm is what I listed above: being covered by his feathers.  There is something deeply comforting to me about imagining being snuggled under feathers, like a little chick nestled under its mother’s wings.  It feels warm, safe, protected, and loved.

When we think of a little chick, do we expect anything of the chick itself? Does it need to be strong or courageous? Does it need to have everything figured out? What is the chick’s only responsibility in the face of storms, predators, or any danger? Isn’t it simply to stay under its mother’s wings, hidden, warm, and safe?

The Psalmist lists multiple things this little chick is protected from: a fowler’s snare, deadly pestilence, the terror of night, arrows by day, plagues, disasters, and harm. I was keenly aware not only of the variety of terrible things but also of the inclusion of all times, both day and night.

I think it’s important to note that the phrase preceding much of this list is “You will not fear…” Clearly, if we’ve lived long enough, we know that abiding in God’s presence doesn’t eliminate all dangers and disasters.  But resting in his shadow means I don’t have to live in dread of the “what-ifs”.

When creating this art piece, I started with the chick nestled in the feathers and worked outward, adding context. I also added extra texture to the sheltering wing to suggest the protection and security that come from God Almighty.

Like the little chick, I am not facing life’s challenges, anxiety, grief, and hardships alone. I rest in peace under God’s kindness and care, not fretting about tomorrow, not because there won’t be hard things, but because he is with me every step of the way.