#Psalms 36:7

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Devotional Hours Within the Bible

by J.R. Miller

Under God's Wings (Psalms 36:7)

“How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge under the shadow of Your wings!”

Some of the most expressive illustrations of the divine love and care employed in the Bible, are taken from the ways of birds. For example, this beautiful figure of a bird sheltering her young under her wings, runs through all the Scriptures, as a picture of God’s sheltering love.

We find it often. Boaz welcomed Ruth from her heathen home to the land of Israel, “The Lord recompense your work, and a full reward be given you of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you are come to trust.” In one of the Psalms we find the words, “My soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” In another Psalm is the prayer, “Hide me under the shadow of your wings, from the wicked that oppress me.” In still another Psalm is this word of confidence, “He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings shall you trust.” Then, in the New Testament, our Lord gives the picture yet added beauty and sweeter and more sacred meaning, by His wonderful adaptation of it to Himself. Addressing those who had resisted His love, He said, with a great pain at His heart,” O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. .. how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings !”

Thus the image is a favorite one in the Bible. Here it is expressed in words of great beauty: “How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge under the shadow of Your wings!” While a picture of a bird sheltering her young beneath her wings is before us, let us think of the wings of God and what is beneath them.

They are wings of mercy. “How priceless is Your unfailing love!” This is mercy kindness to the undeserving. Under God’s wings is a place for penitent sinners. If it were a place only for good people, sinless people it would have little comfort for us. The angels might go in there but we could not. But it is a place for sinners.

When you look closely, you see that the wings of God are stained with blood. Some birds, when defending their young, put their own bodies between them and the danger, themselves receiving the stroke that was meant to destroy their offspring. Open your Bible and you find that Jesus has been wounded. Up there, amid the bright glory of heaven, He appears as One that has been slain. Look at His hands, those hands that always were so gentle and there are great wounds upon them! Look at His feet, those sacred feet that bore Him on so many errands of love, that the penitent woman kissed and wetted with her tears, and there are wound - prints in them! Look at His side, over His heart, that heart which throbbed with so much tenderness and love and compassion; and there you see a spear-wound! You ask how Jesus received these five wounds, and you are pointed to the answer, “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. .. with His stripes we are healed.” Then you understand it. Jesus interposed His own blessed body to receive the woundings that would have fallen upon us. That is the meaning of the blood upon the wings of God. The wounds were received in saving us. Beneath these wings is mercy, because LOVE has suffered for us!

The wings of God are wide-spreading. You have seen a hen stretch out her wings to cover her brood; yet hers are not broad wings. They can shelter only her own little family. God’s wings are infinitely broader. For six thousand years they have been gathering human souls under their blessed shelter and yet there is room!

In Malachi, there is a wonderful word which speaks of the coming Messiah as a Sun, the Sun of Righteousness, whose spreading beams are likened to wings, under which there is healing. Think how widely the sun’s radiant beams reach, when that orb is in the zenith. God’s wings spread over every spot on earth, in which is a penitent soul. We know how the invitations ring out to the weary, the sinful, the lost. The God of the Bible is the God of the sinning and the sorrowing and of those who have failed and fallen. His love is as wide as the human race and as free as the sunshine. No sinner has fallen so low but that the wings of God can reach out over him. There is room beneath these wings for all classes for the happy children, for the strong young people, for the feeble old people.

Sometimes there seems to be no place on earth for the aged. They cannot keep pace any more with the hurrying ranks, and drop behind. Sometimes even the children, whom they sheltered in infancy, for whom they toiled, suffered, and sacrificed; appear to forget to keep a warm nest for their parents in their old age. But there is one place where aged Christians are never in the way. There is one home from whose door they are never turned away. There is room under the wings of God for the aged. God’s voice is heard saying: “I will be your God throughout your lifetime until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you!” How many dear aged people, has God folded to sleep as gently as ever a mother folded her babe to her bosom!

So there is room for all the wise man and the ignorant, the strong and the weak, the healthy and the trembling invalid, life’s victors and the defeated, the pure and gentle and innocent, and the worst sinners. These wings of God are wide-spreading.

God’s wings are gentle. The warmest nests in this world, are those which human love prepares for its dear ones. We know how the mothers tuck their babes away in their little cribs, with pillow of down and soft blankets. We know how warm and gentle a place every true and happy home is for children to rest in and grow up in. We know what tenderness a noble, manly husband prepares for the wife he loves and takes into the shelter of his strength. We know what tenderness many a friendship makes for the life that it enfolds, throwing about it life’s fondest gentleness, blessing it with all delicate thoughtfulness and attentive ministry, and sheltering it from life’s rude storms and harsh contacts.

We all long for tenderness. To live without it is dreary indeed. It is a blessed thing that it comes to us in so many sweet ways in life. But the love of God is gentler than the fondest human gentleness. Have you ever thought how suggestive of tenderness, warmth, and softness the wings of a bird are? There is something almost human in the way the mother-bird cares for her young. What is softer than the downy feathers she spreads over them?

Some birds build their nests on a rock. Underneath it is bare, cold, and hard. But what do the young birds care, so long as over them they feel the warm covering of the mother-bird’s feathers? Some of God’s children find the earthly nest under them bare and cold. They have to endure the experiences of poverty. Their lot has in it many hardships. They have trials. At times afflictions are their portion. Not all have human love’s tenderness about them.

Not every heart’s nest in this world is lined with down. There are homes that are not gentle. There are lives with fine feelings and sensibilities, which move as amid briars and thorns and are hurt every day! There are many whose relations with others are not of the kind to give comfort. There are children who do not know what the refinements of gentle home-love are. There are hearts that are hurt by ingratitude, by coldness, by rudeness, by incessant unkindness, by unfaithfulness, by betrayal, by wrong and injustice. But the gentleness of God is over all who will nestle beneath it and it never fails, never lacks in tenderness.

What a warm place this is to which to flee in time of sorrow! Some of us do not yet understand this. We cannot see the stars until the sun goes down and night comes. We cannot know the marvelous tenderness of God, while yet we are surrounded and overshadowed and blessed by rich and unbroken human tenderness. There are many things about the love of God which we cannot learn until we lose earth’s good things.

Again and again people say in their times of bereavement and sore trial: “I cannot understand the experience I am having. I felt as the sorrow approached, that I could not possibly endure it, that my heart would break. But when it came, there seemed to be something enfolding me, so that I was not crushed but could even sing in my grief and loss.” A friend wrote once, when he was watching beside his brother’s deathbed, that he was learning not so much the meaning of sorrow as he was learning the meaning of God’s comfort. Some of us understand this from our own experience. As we entered the valley of grief, and the darkness deepened about us we felt a Presence we could not see; the darkness seemed to be struck through with a soft, heavenly light. There was something we could not describe, which strangely comforted us, keeping us calm and quiet.

We call sorrow a shadow, and we talk about it falling upon us, and deepening, until sometimes all the light of earth is obscured. But it is the shadow of God’s wings. What seems darkness is only the darkening of earth’s dim lights, that heaven’s light may shine about us. Sorrow, for a Christian, is not God’s withdrawal ; it is His nearer coming. We shall never know how warm and soft a place there is beneath the wings of love until we creep there out of earth’s nights and blasts of storm.

In this world we nestle only, as it were, under the outer edge of this broad shadow. We do not, therefore, experience the fullness, the best, the blessedness which lies up nearer the divine heart. Then, what we call dying is, for a Christian only going in deeper beneath these wings. God’s grace is very sweet, even on the earth but heaven is far better.

There is a great comfort for us in this lesson, when we stand by the bedside of our believing friends and watch them pass into the shadow which we call death. It is painful for us to have them go out of our arms into the strange mystery. Yet they only nestled up closer up under God’s wings! That is the true meaning of dying.

Notice what this Psalm tells us is under these wings of God. There are four things.

Satisfaction is the first. “They shall be abundantly satisfied!”

Joy is the second. “You give them drink from your river of delights.”

Life, larger, fuller life, is the third. “With you is the fountain of life.”

Light is the fourth. “In your light we shall see light.”

These four great blessings are found beneath the wings of God satisfaction, joy, life, light.

When we are dwelling beneath the wings of God, and under these wings have such marvelous blessings why should we ever be afraid? Why should we dread to see our Christian friends pass out of this life! To depart and be with Christ is very far better!

God’s wings are also wings of refuge. “How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings!” When the storm comes, the mother-bird gathers her young beneath her wings and shelters them, bearing herself the pelting of the hail but keeping them safe and warm. So Christ gathers His people beneath the wings of His love when the tempest breaks upon them.

“What tempest? From what do we need a refuge?” Does anyone ask the question! Have you never felt the need of a refuge for your own life? Have you never felt yourself driven by fears, by dangers, by alarms, by the wild tempests of sorrow or of doubt needing some refuge, some secure place to hide, where you would be safe from the angry strifes?

In all such times and experiences, there is a refuge beneath the wings of God! There is a refuge there, because it is mercy’s place. Under the wings of the cherubim, was the mercy seat. We have sinned. We need atonement. Those who flee beneath God’s wings, beneath the outstretched arms of the cross have nothing to fear from their sins. They are forgiven. “There is now no condemnation.”

But this is not the only sense in which the wings of God give a refuge to men. You know the restful feeling that steals over one when after a day out in the world, amid its strifes, cares, and competitions, its babble of tongues, its insincerities, its disappointments; he enters his own sweet and happy home and shuts his door. Home is a refuge to his heart. He finds love there, sincerity, no enmity, no competition, no sharp dealing. God is home to the human soul that trusts in Him, “Lord, you have been our dwelling - place from all generations!”

There is a sense in which a noble, true, and faithful human life is a refuge to many others. But the best human refuges are only frail and temporary. You turn some day for shelter and find your friend dead. Then when the shock comes, the temptation, the sorrow, the fear, the danger -and you want to fly to him, he is not there, and you are left to fall. Human refuges are well in their place, as gifts of God, as shelters for an hour ; but you need to have the Rock of Ages for your refuge! Then you will never find your hiding place removed, when you need to flee into it. In any hour you can creep into that shelter, and sing:

Jesus, Lover of my soul, Let me to Your bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high: Hide me, O my Savior, hide, Till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none; Hangs my helpless soul on Thee; Leave, ah! leave me not alone, Still support and comfort me. All my trust on You is stayed, All my help from You I bring; Cover my defenseless head With the shadow of Your wing.

[whispersfromthecottagegarden]

[blackwolfmanx3]

Psalm 36:7-9

“How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.”

[walkswithmyfather]

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” —1 Thessalonians 5:16

“In all circumstances part 1: trust in God's character” By Antique Candle Co.:

“Why is it that we most often seek the Lord during the valleys of life? We know from His Word that He wants us to seek Him in every season. During the peaks, with moments of great joy and celebration; during the valleys, in times of worry and uncertainty. Not only does He desire His children to seek Him out, but He calls us to be faithful in all circumstances.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding...” —Proverbs 3:5

Trusting in the Lord's character allows us to find hope in every situation. It's not just about trusting God to get us through the difficult moments, but fully trusting in who He is, which extends to every moment of life.

So what is God's character? Many things. God cannot be compared to anything else in all creation. He created all things. Therefore, there are some attributes of Christ we can and cannot understand. We can't understand being 'unchanging' or 'all-knowing' ourselves because, as we are finite beings, we are neither. However, His Word tells us these truths about Him so that we may trust the characteristics that are unique to God alone. We can see and acknowledge the truth of His character in the Word and in our own lives.

GOD IS UNCHANGING:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” —Hebrews 13:8

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” —James 1:17

GOD IS FAITHFUL:

“...if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” —2 Timothy 2:13

“The Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.” —Psalm 100:5

GOD IS ALL-KNOWING:

“He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.” —Psalm 94:9

GOD IS SOVEREIGN:

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” —Romans 11:36

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” —Ephesians 1:7-8

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” —Romans 8:28

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” —Matthew 24:14

Place your trust in a God who is unchanging, faithful, all-knowing, sovereign, and so much more. In all circumstances, His character is something that will never fail.”

[Read the whole of this encouraging Blog post here.]

[shutterandsentence]

Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,       your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;       your judgments are like the great deep;       man and beast you save, O LORD.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!       The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

--Psalm 36:5-7

Photo: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

[wiirocku]

Psalm 36:7 (NKJV) - How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"DON'T WAIT UNTIL THANKSGIVING TO THANK HIM!"

Read: 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34 AMP) We often think of Gratitude in terms of Gain: Someone gives you a ride to work. A neighbor cooks a meal when you’ve had surgery. Your boss notices your hard work and gives you a raise. The kids clean up the house or your husband cooks dinner. For…

[jesus-is-lord-and-savior]

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

(Psalm 36:7, ESV)

[bojackson54]

Trouble in This World is Inevitable. Refuge, However, is Optional

As you read this, there is an abundance of trouble in this fallen world. Ukraine and Russia are still at war. So are Israel and Hamas. Genocide is taking place in several countries, such as the persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar and the attacks on the Nuer people in South Sudan. There are refugees, people afflicted by drug use, there is human trafficking. There are devastating natural…

[bookkats]

Rest is Resistance Week 4

Week 4 “Who was I before the terror of the toxic systems? p. 56Psalm 127:7: In vain you get up early and stay up late, sweating to make a living, because God loves us and provides for us even while we sleep. (Inclusive Bible)Isaiah 40:31Mark 4:36-41(W)holistic Self Call to Worship(Breathe in) God created me(Breathe out) I can create Prayer of the DayGod help us to find spacesfor…

[thewordfortheday]

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7

When you are fearful, when you are sick, when you have nothing or nobody to lean on, when things seem hopeless, you can run to God.

We can take refuge in the shadow of His wings. And when we do that, just like a hen gathers up her chicks under her wings when threatened, God gathers us under His wings. Here there is safety, there is provision, there is love, joy and peace.

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for taking care of me. Your unfailing love is priceless. Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. I take refuge in You, safe from the raging storms. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Lord is My Shepherd

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. — Psalm 23 | Third Millennium Bible (TMB) Third Millennium Bible, New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Cross References: Deuteronomy 20:1; 2 Samuel 22:19; Psalm 5:8; Psalm 16:5; Psalm 19:7; Psalm 25:7; Psalm 25:10; Psalm 36:8; Luke 7:46; John 10:11; Philippians 4:19; Revelation 7:17

Psalm 23 Meaning: Analysis of This Powerful Scripture

[twiggy-in-pink]

How precious is your unfailing love, O God!

All humanity finds shelter

in the shadow of your wings.

You feed them from the abundance of your own house,

letting them drink from your river of delights.

For you are the fountain of life,

the light by which we see.

Psalm 36:7-9

[awideplace]

To the 15-year-old anon who wrote me asking for prayer and giving specifics of what you're facing: I won't publish your ask due to wanting to be discerning with publicly sharing the details of what you are facing and I can't write you privately due to question being anonymous. I want to tell you though: please, don't live in shame and disgust. This is what Satan would want: for your to cover and hide and believe you are worthless. This is not true. These are lies. You are not alone. What you are facing is not unique to you and you are not a terrible person for it. We all have struggles; every single one of us. Whoever claims to not have a struggle would, I fear, not be living in truth and essentially live in pride and self-righteousness. Do we stay in a place of bondage to our sin? No, by the grace of God we don't have to. I feel for you; you are not alone. Lord, please bless this young woman and speak to her very heart that she is tenderly created and cared for by You; protect her from the condemnation and lies from the Enemy we pray, Lord. Protect her mind, her heart, Lord–pour out Your Spirit on her life that she may seek You and know You and run to You. We do hide in the face of difficulty, but we hide in the shadow of Your wings, not from You. Please cover and protect her life. Show her, her worth in You. May she be humbled in that she repents of her sin to You and seeks to take steps to counteract these temptations and attacks from the Enemy, but Lord, guard her. Protect her. There are wars within and without and she is facing a battle. Please care for her as only You can; and thank You that You always make a way out. We are not left to ourselves or our own devices. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.

Scripture that comes to mind for you, beloved (seek Christ):

"Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed." Psalm 57:1

"She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, 'Come on, sleep with me!' Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house." Genesis 39:12 (Joseph fled sexual sin, the situation, he ran; we often must run so to speak and seek refuge in the shadow of His wings)

"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure." 1 Corinthians 10:13

"How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 36:7

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

Every September, my friend Marc Hong, a professor at Louisville Seminary, hosts Psalmtember. He invites you to join in, too!

Think "Inktober," but in September and with a spiritual focus — and with any art form welcome, from drawing to poetry to photography and beyond. There's also no pressure to create something for every day — do as many or as few as you like.

Here's Marc's description of this artistic event:

Each year, I love to spend a month making art inspired by the Psalms. There are 30 days in September, meaning that I can evenly divide up the 150 Psalms into 5 sets of 30. So, if I do this for 5 years, I will have made art with all of the Psalms. Join me! The prompt list is in the image [as well as below the readmore]. But other words may stand out to you! Or you may try to make art that represents the wholeness of the Psalm. I encourage you to read the text of the whole Psalm each day, consider what emotions it stirs up in you, choose a medium that speaks to you, and make some art! Folks have painted, used ink, drawn with colored pencils, taken photographs, written haikus, and much more. Choose what stirs delight in you!

Tag your post with #psalmtember2023 so we can celebrate the Psalms through art together!

Marc and many others post on Facebook, but I'll be paying attention to the tag here on tumblr. If you create anything you'd like me to share on Facebook on your behalf, DM me.

PSALMTEMBER 2023 PROMPT LIST

SEPT 1 - Psalm 31 - Refuge

SEPT 2 - Psalm 32 - Waters

SEPT 3 - Psalm 33 - Breath

SEPT 4 - Psalm 34 - Radiant

SEPT 5 - Psalm 35 - Net

SEPT 6 - Psalm 36 - Mountains

SEPT 7 - Psalm 37 - Smoke

SEPT 8 - Psalm 38 - Burden

SEPT 9 - Psalm 39 - Burned

SEPT 10 - Psalm 40 - Bog

SEPT 11 - Psalm 41 - Rise

SEPT 12 - Psalm 42 - Deer

SEPT 13 - Psalm 43 - Altar

SEPT 14 - Psalm 44 - Dust

SEPT 15 - Psalm 45 - Robes

SEPT 16 - Psalm 46 - River

SEPT 17 - Psalm 47 - Throne

SEPT 18 - Psalm 48 - City

SEPT 19 - Psalm 49 - Graves

SEPT 20 - Psalm 50 - Tempest

SEPT 21 - Psalm 51 - Clean

SEPT 22 - Psalm 52 - Uproot

SEPT 23 - Psalm 53 - Bones

SEPT 24 - Psalm 54 - Upholder

SEPT 25 - Psalm 55 - Dove

SEPT 26 - Psalm 56 - Bottle

SEPT 27 - Psalm 57 - Shadow

SEPT 28 - Psalm 58 - Snail

SEPT 29 - Psalm 59 - Dogs

SEPT 30 - Psalm 60 - Cracks