Under His Wings

By Curt Darling

“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.”

— William O. Cushing (1823-1902)

“The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” —Ruth 2:12 KJV

The Lord takes care of believers, keeping them “under His wings.” as we consider various passages of scripture, our hearts are drawn to Him.K We find the first such passage as we read about Ruth. You may recall that Ruth was from Moab, but she had married a man from Israel who was living in her country. after he died, she went to bethlehem with her mother-in-law. While seeking grain to provide food for both of them, Ruth, without planning to do so, entered a field that belonged to the wealthy man boaz. Impressed by her faith and kindness to her mother-in-law, boaz provided a source of food and place of safety to Ruth. In a short time, boaz became to her a kinsman-redeemer* and husband. Together, they would become ancestors of the Lord Jesus.

“Keep me as the apple of the eye. Hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.” —Psalm 17:8

The “apple of the eye” is its very tender and precious part, protected by other parts of the eye. Connected with this David said, “Hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.” David’s life was filled with danger, yet he recognized that he was precious to the LORD and he desired to be kept in His care.

“How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.” —Psalm 36:7

David began this psalm by criticizing the wickedness of men (vv.1-4); then he wrote about the mercies and faithfulness of God (vv.5-7). In verse 7 David spoke of the precious lovingkindness, or mercy, of God, expressing a personal trust in the One who in mercy and faithfulness protects under His very own wings. Do we have this kind of trust in God?

“Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities are overpast.” —Psalm 57:1

The heading of this psalm tells us it was written when David fled from King saul. samuel had already anointed David to replace saul. In view of the danger from one seeking his life, David needed the realization that he had safety under the shadow of God’s wings. I heard a story many years ago of a man walking through a burnedout prairie. Coming upon a pile of ashes he kicked it apart. as he did, a bunch of baby prairie chickens came out and ran away. The mother had protected those chicks to her death. Does that remind you of Jesus and His death for those who trust Him?

“I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings. Selah.” —Psalm 61:4

“Trust” prevails in every passage so far, even when the word is not mentioned. David began this psalm by asking God, “Hear my cry … attend unto my prayer” (v.1). He sensed a distance from God, having an overwhelmed heart (v.2). We are reminded that the Lord is a rock, a shelter and a strong tower from the enemy. Rather than being far from Him, David said that he would abide in His dwelling place forever. Therefore we again see David expressing his “trust in the covert of Thy wings.”

“Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings I will rejoice.” —Psalm 63:7

David, reminded of the LORD’s help to him, rejoiced under the shadow of His wings. We can do the same, having received “grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

“He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be Thy shield and buckler.” —Psalm 91:4

We see related phrases in verse 1 as to dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and abiding under the shadow of the almighty. “surely He shall deliver” (v.3), but it is “under His wings” (v.4) where one must trust. notice the next words: “His truth.” Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32) and, “I am … the truth” (14:6). We must know Him.

Expressions By The Lord Jesus Christ
Referring to Jesus about six months before His birth, Zacharias spoke of the visit of the Dayspring from on high (Lk. 1:78). In this he affirmed that the child Jesus was God. Later, in Luke 19:41, the Lord Jesus beheld Jerusalem and wept over it. He said, “Thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (v.44).

He sorrowed because of the people’s refusal to know Him and to be gathered under His wings: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent [by God] unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not” (Mt. 23:37).

as Israel refused to be sheltered under His wings, the gospel now goes out to the ends of the world. We who have heard and believed the good news of salvation, knowing the risen Christ, can enjoy the fact that we are under His wings. There is plenty in this world that could make us afraid, but we can be like what I saw in my farm days, when one peal of thunder would send the chicks running under their mother’s wings.

May we bow in adoration to our savior as we consider the chorus of the opening hymn:

“Under His wings, under His wings, Who from His love can sever? Under His wings my soul shall abide, Safely abide forever.”

ENDNOTE
* GotQuestions.org explains the kinsman-redeemer in this manner: It is “a male relative who, according to various laws of the Pentateuch, had the privilege or responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need. The Hebrew term (go el) for kinsman-redeemer designates one who delivers or rescues (Gen. 48:16; Ex. 6:6) or redeems property or person (Lev. 27:9–25, 25:47–55) … [The Lord Jesus] is the true kinsman-redeemer of all who call on Him in faith.”

Author: Sebastien

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