Psalms 63 (Part IV)

⁶ On my bed I remember You;
    I think of You through the watches of the night.
⁷ Because You are my help,
    I sing in the shadow of Your wings.

We remember God when we lay down to rest.  In that time the watches might would announce the changing of the guard or approximate time (they didn't have clocks).  But I think the thought is we will think of God when we lay down and every time we wake up during the night.  All our thoughts are on our wondrous and saving God.

Verse 7 is a critical verse for our understanding.  He sings under God's protection because God is his help, his rescuer.  This idea of being under the wings of God is found in many places in the Bible.  Psalm 17:8 says, "Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings."  Psalm 36:7 says, "How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!  Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings."  Psalm 57:1 says, "And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by."  Psalm 91:4 says, "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge."  Jesus makes the reference Himself in Matthew 23:37 saying, "How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" 

This concept of a mother bird saving others with her wings is popular. In the recent movie, After Earth, the child is saved from freezing by an eagle who gives her life so that he would not die.

The eagle had lost all her young from some kind of tigers and the boy had fought the tigers but had not been able to save the small birds.  He was in the nest as food for the babies when they were to hatch by the way.  But that aside, the eagle searches for him apparently to help him while he thinks the bird is revengeful for losing the babies and wants to kill him.  There are many spiritual lessons in this one part of this movie.  (1.)  He runs from something that wants to befriend him and that eventually saves him.  I'm sure he would even fight it if it came close to him.  Sounds almost like how every lost person reacts to God.  (2.)  The eagle finds him when he is certainly going to die and sacrifices itself so he, who feared it and ran from it, could live.  Sounds a lot like Jesus to me.

I had a missionary tell me one time, "When life is just too tough to bear and you're not sure you're going to or want to survive, do what I do.  I just imagine myself at the foot of God.  I turn around and just back my way under His wing.  He'll keep me warm and safe."  I didn't realize until later the Biblical references that he was leaning on with that reference.  I think the mental imagery is very helpful. 

We take refuge under God's mighty and tender wings and we trust in them.  We can also find refuge in our friends, but our friends will die someday.  Then when the stress of life comes we'll turn for them and they won't be there.  God will always be there.  The old time hymn, Jesus, lover of my soul,  has these first two verses:

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy 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, oh, leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

God is able and wants to be our refuge.  We just have to be willing to get under His wing.