Numbers 21-22
Psalm 36:7-12
Proverbs 8:27-29
Mark 16
“God, your faithful love is so valuable that people take refuge in the shadow of your wing.” Psalm 36:7
This beautiful imagery is found numerous times in scripture. Psalm 17:8, 36:7, 57:1, 61:4, 63:7, and Ruth 2:12 all give us a picture of God stretching out His protective arms over us like an eagle stretching out its wing over her eaglets. The eagle protects her young from the oppressive heat of the sun. As a little girl in Alabama, I can relate to the scorching summer heat. Working in my grandmother’s garden, picking vegetables, planting seeds or hoeing the weeds out from around the tender plants with sweat pouring into my eyes, I couldn’t wait till I got to the south end of the rows. At that end stood a grove of trees, so the last third of the row I would get to work in the shade. The difference was amazing. The temperature was the same, but the covering of the shade made all the difference in the world. The shadow of the eagle’s wing also protected the young eaglets from the wind and storms. High in the trees there was little protection against the buffeting of strong winds and heavy rains. The eagle stands strong as the winds blow and the rain pelts her, but her precious little ones are warm and dry beneath her wings. There is peace and calm in the midst of the storm. They are not worried or afraid because they know they are safe.
If we remain under the shadow of the Almighty, beneath the protection of His mighty wings, the storms still come and the winds buffet all around us, but we remain safe and dry under His wings. He protects us from the dangers around us and from the scorching heat of oppression. If the eaglets venture out on their own path, away from the eagle, they must face the heat, wind and storms on their own. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:1-4
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