Under The Shadow of His Wings

This verse talks about David singing for joy, yet according to the Psalm’s title, he was in the wilderness—a dry and thirsty land he called it. What’s so joyful about that, you might ask? The answer is simple enough—no matter where David’s body was, he knew how to welcome God into his circumstances and, wilderness or not, where God is, joy is.

David talks about enemies who sought to destroy his life. Now, it’s one thing when people are willing to lie about you, or get you fired from your job, or try to humiliate you, but David’s enemies literally wanted to murder him. I’ve endured some nasty attacks in my time, but no one has ever tried to kill me. David’s problems here were on a whole other level!

Attacks will come, and if your greatest ambition is to see that no one gets the glory but God, those attacks may come with more venom and pure evil than you might possibly imagine. So what do you do then? You find the place of safety that only God can offer, under the shadow of His wings!

When David uses this phrase throughout the Psalms, he means it as a beautiful picture of the safest place in human existence. You can see that great eagle covering her young with her wings, can’t you? Dangers may lurk in the skies above, but nothing is getting through to harm those young eagles as long as they stay under those wings. And so it is with us. There may be no lack of plotting and conspiring and evil plans being laid for you, but stay under the shadow of His wings and none of the machinations of the enemy can make it past the protection of Almighty God!

Despite his many sorrows, David said, “In the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” Never mind that you’re still in the wilderness, that your enemies are on the prowl seeking to devour you, you still have reason to sing because God is watching over you relentlessly.

David talks about the fate of His enemies, and it’s not a happy fate at all. The fact is, evil can’t outlast joy, and it certainly can’t outlast the source of that joy. So sing out in praise, rejoice, and worship the God who has you carefully secured under the shadow of His wings!