Under His Wings

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

The Bible uses several animal, plant and occupation images to get its message across to readers. Jesus often told parables based on common occupations of the day, such as shepherding, to express how He wanted His followers to live and interact with each other. In today’s verse, God is indirectly compared to a bird giving refuge to its chicks. When a mother hen or goose wants to protect her young, she opens her wings and immediately gathers them all to her. The chicks form a tight-knit group, and the mother is able to hide them from predators, weather and other dangers under her wings. God has a more impressive “wingspan” than any mother bird, big enough to cover every person in the world. He longs for us to find refuge under His divine wings. Many Christians struggle to see God as a refuge. They’ve grown up with the image of a demanding and angry God who swiftly punishes people who disobey. Other Christians reject God’s refuge because they want to be independent. They feel like they can and should do everything themselves. These attitudes may work for a while, but they eventually will wear you down. You will come up against an obstacle you cannot surmount. When that happens, God will be there. However, He won’t be waiting to say, “I told you so.” He will have His arms open, ready to enfold you and give you the refuge you need. If you need refuge today, run to those arms through prayer. Meditate on today’s verse and thank God for His compassion.