Under His wings…
Fear has a quiet way of finding us.
Sometimes it arrives with unexpected news. Sometimes it grows from the uncertainty of tomorrow. Sometimes it whispers late at night, when the house is still and our thoughts become louder than they were during the day.
We all know what it feels like to carry concerns for the people we love, to wonder what the future holds, or to feel unsettled by the world around us.
Years ago, I walked through a season of insomnia.
Looking back, I can see that much of it was rooted in fear—fear for those I loved, fear of what might happen, fear of the unknown. Night after night, my mind searched for certainty but found none.
At the time, I didn't yet know how to come to God with the truth of everything that was stirring inside me. I didn't know that I could bring Him my fears just as they were.
Someone simply encouraged me to pray Psalm 91 before going to sleep.
So I did…
I prayed it night after night…
And… slowly, something began to change…
Not because every fear disappeared, but because my heart began to discover a place of rest.
These words became more than poetry. They became a place to dwell.
"He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."
Psalm 91:4
Whenever I read this verse, I don't picture a fortress of stone.
I imagine something much softer.
A warm, quiet nest.
A little child safely hidden beneath the Father's wings.
A place where I don't have to pretend to be strong. A place where I don't have to carry tomorrow before it arrives. A place where I can simply rest because I know I am held.
Perhaps that's why I've always been drawn to feathers. Every time I find one, I'm reminded of the gentle promise of Psalm 91—that there is a place where fear doesn't have the final word, because I am safely held.
“Under His wings” oil painting
This painting grew from that image.
It isn't really about feathers.
It isn't even about a child.
It is about the quiet safety of being gathered into God's embrace.
The world around us may not become less uncertain. We cannot always change our circumstances or answer every "what if" that crosses our minds.
But we can return, again and again, to the One who invites us to dwell in His presence.
His shelter is not an escape from reality.
It is the place from which we learn to face reality with peace.
Because when we know we are held by Him, fear no longer has the final word.
As you look at this painting, perhaps you might pause for a moment and reflect:
When you read the words, "He will cover you with His feathers," what do you imagine?
What does God's shelter feel like to you?