Holy Overshadowing
Whoever 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
I recently visited Biggin Hill, picking up a friend for the afternoon and dropping her off later that day. As I approached Biggin Hill Airport on each occasion, a small plane flew over me when I was closest to the start of the runway. Admittedly I don’t drive past the airport all that often, but this kind of ‘fly over’ has never happened to me before – and it then happened twice in one day! The planes were really low as they were coming into land; I felt that they were going to clip the lampposts on their approach to the runway.
The phrase ‘fly over’ came to mind, as did Bible verses about living under the shadow of God’s wings. This idea can be found in several psalms:
Psalm 17:8: Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:7: How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 57:1: Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.
Psalm 63:7: For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
These verses describe being in the shadow of God’s wings as divine refuge, shelter and comfort, providing a safe haven and protection.
The idea of a shadow, or shade, has been in many of our minds recently as the heat has been so intense. Any bit of shade has been helpful to protect us from the strength of the sun. I was reminded of the story of Jonah finding shade as he watched over Nineveh. For countries in that region, finding appropriate shade is of the utmost importance. God was teaching Jonah about compassion for the lost. He was more bothered about losing his shade than about a whole city being lost:
Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:5-8
Some birds, like the African black heron, intentionally cast the shadow of their wings over the water to create an umbrella, reducing glare and attracting curious fish to a safe, shady spot.
A shadow is a strange metaphor to use of God. We usually think of God as light, but here the shadow is a lack of light. The shadow though is evidence of the tangible presence of God, protecting us from above. Even if we don't see the Father, we see the evidence of His presence and protection. We know we've been comforted, we feel secure, we're covered. God is never far from each one of us. If we clearly see His shadow over us, just as an eagle covers her young with her wings, God must be close by providing a place of refuge and a covering of protection.
Prayer
Father, thank you for this image of living under the shadow of your wings. As the song says, there ‘we find security’. Sometimes you enable us to step forward strongly and confidently; at other times, we need to rest, take stock, even hide away for a while – just as you placed Moses in the cleft of a rock to protect him.
As we approach the summer holidays and activities at church take a break, we pray that we would remember this image. You never sleep or slumber, you are never distracted, you are always watching over us, sheltering us and providing a refuge for us. We face challenges and difficulties of all kinds Lord, but through them all you are like that eagle gently covering us with your feathers. You are such a faithful God and we thank you for providing a refuge for us, just when we need one. Help us to do the same for one another – show us how we can comfort and protect those who are in need.
Thank you Lord for your holy overshadowing – the evidence you show us that proves your presence is close by. Help us not to lose heart, but to trust you and persevere as we go through trials and tribulations, resting for a while under the shadow of your wings. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Liesel Stanbridge
Prayer Co-ordinator