“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.” (Psalms 57:1-2 NKJV).
What does it mean to be sheltered “in the shadow of Your wings”?
You can tell me: “Being sheltered in the Power of GOD!”
Yes, but how can we trust this Power?
The composer, musician, inventor of musical instruments, prophet and King David, who had never lost a battle, was convinced that calamities, adversities, and problems would pass. So much so that he declares “Until these calamities have passed by”. But he knew that in order for them to pass, he would have to trust GOD.
So, how to feed that trust?
How to protect his mind from negative thoughts?
Before he was crowned king, David was the rejected of the family. In whom did he take refuge? In the negative words of those who put him “down”? No! Did he keep complaining about the problems? No! This is what he did: he took shelter in the shadow of GOD’s wings.
But what Shadow would this be? What was he trying to say?
When David used this expression, he was saying that he was looking to meditate on GOD, to focus his deepest thoughts on GOD. But on what?
1) In the promises by the Word which he had received from GOD for his life;
2) In the Word of GOD that brought him consolation;
3) In the deliverances which the LORD GOD gave to His people in the past;
4) In the deliverances he himself received from GOD in the face of so many dangers: lion, bear, giant, and a vast number of other enemies;
5) In the greatness of GOD in His varied creation, which is everywhere – HE is always greater than any problem!;
6) In the songs of worship he sang to GOD, even in difficult times;
7) In prayer.
At the very end of this quoted passage from Psalm 57, we can see that prayer (his cry out to GOD) was food to increase his trust in Him. King David knew that when he cried out to the LORD with all his heart, he was answered! Anyone who experiences this knows very well that the Almighty responds!
Being sheltered in the shadow of the wings of the Most High GOD is the best and safest place where one can be. The LORD JESUS invites us to this eternal comfort. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you […].” (James 4:8).
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High [where no evil can prevail] Shall abide [will rest] under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalms 91:1 NKJV).
Realize that it is always MINE AND YOUR DECISION to want to “dwell” in this Precious Place. It’s not just visiting, but inhabiting. A visit is something very little, superficial. We cannot get to know someone deeply with just one visit. However, it is in HABITING, it is in frequency, it is in consistency that we can really know someone in the deep.
The Almighty calls us to dwell in Him and let Him DWELL within us.
But what rest is this?
The Lord Jesus said:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV).
The most comforting rest is given by the LORD JESUS CHRIST to those who seek Him: the rest of the soul, in the Shadow of His Wings, sheltered in the certainty of the promise of His Eternal Protection and that everything goes well, when we surrender our ways in His Holy Hands, and we stand in His Word.
In the shadow of Your Wings, in addition to being rest and relief for the soul, safe in the Arms of the Father forever, it is also the comforting certainty that His Word never fails and that it is a refuge and effective for those who believe.
GOD made the little shepherd David be the leader of the nation, as He had promised. The LORD of all the earth took him from the stockyard to the throne. He went on to sheperd the people of GOD, as stated in Psalm 78:71.
Detail: David participated in several wars, with countless enemies, many persecutions, however he overcame all these circumstances with the Force he trusted. He didn’t die of war or disease. He died of old age! His days on earth were fulfilled.
There is only one impassable Shadow! Nothing and no one can resist the power of the LORD of hosts, of the LORD who is over the armies of thousands of thousands of angels, magnificent in power!
May we seek shelter in this Shadow constantly.
May the Shadow of the Wings of the Almighty envelop us today and always! Amen!
UniC - Union in CHRIST 🇧🇷 🇬🇧 