READING:
One-year plan: Psalms 57-62, Romans 11:1-32
Two-year plan: 1 Samuel 9-10, Luke 18:1-8
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I remember one of my pastoral heroes often praying this prayer: “God, hide us in the shadow of Your wings.” Early in my Christian walk, I thought the image was a cool one—but I didn’t understand that the image comes straight from the scriptures. I just thought my hero was a great wordsmith. Imagine my excitement when I first read the phrase in the Word!
“The shadow of God’s wings” speaks of His protective care, and it’s an image that occurs several times in the scriptures—including in today’s reading (Psa 57:1, 61:4). Like a mother bird who protects her babies (though some scholars also think the phrase may refer symbolically to protection under the wings of the seraphim on the ark of the covenant), God surrounds His own with His care. In either case, God is the source of the protection—and we need no other when He is watching over us. He is indeed our refuge.
As I think about my pastoral hero, in fact, I realize how often I saw Him trusting God’s love no matter what he faced in ministry and life. He truly delighted being under God’s wings. May you and I have the same delight!
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Do you need this reminder today that you are under God’s wings?
DAILY PRAYER: “God, keep me under Your wings today.”
TOMORROW’S READINGS:
One-year plan: Psalms 63-68, Romans 11:33-12:21
Two-year plan: 1 Samuel 11-12, Luke 18:9-23