Under His Wings

He will cover you with His feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge…

Psalm 91:4a NIV

In a world where so many want to make a name for themselves, be honored for accomplishments and recognized for good works, I am always amazed that some of God’s most beautiful and well-loved Words are recorded as written by anonymous. Psalm 91 is one such work. 

Often called the Soldiers’ Psalm, it has been recited across battlefields around the globe providing hope and comfort to thousands. It also provides hope for daily living. Danger comes in many shapes and sizes and at various times throughout life. Psalm 91 covers all circumstances because God continues to protect His children.

I have long been fascinated with verse four and the picture of God hiding me under His wings. Like many of you, I have watched a mother duck pull her ducklings close to her breast and tuck them safely under her wings. While I understood the metaphor of God pulling me close and keeping me safe, only after I comprehended the fuller meaning of the Hebrew word for wings did I begin to draw upon this Psalm for daily living.

The Hebrew word kanap, translated in verse four as wings, also means corner, hem (of a garment). Upon reading that definition, I got it! I am like a small child who runs to mother, grabs mother’s legs and hides my head under the hem of mother’s dress tail thinking no one can see me, because I cannot see them. I feel safe! I am safe, for there is nothing a mother will not do to protect her child.

Like a mother protecting her child, our Heavenly Father protects His children. If I make the Most High my dwelling, then no harm can come to me. No threat can overpower my God. No peril can be greater than my God. No one can outsmart my God. No day becomes so dark that my God cannot provide light for the way; no heartache so great that my God cannot speak peace to my troubled soul. My protection remains in Him alone.

Therefore, when I need wisdom I will ask God. When I am afraid, I will trust God. When my world grows dark and I cannot seem to find my way, I will look to God. When my heart hurts and I think I cannot bear the pain, I will remember that I, like a small child, am tucked under the hem of His garment safe and secure under His wings.

© Joyce Powell