Sheltered Under the Shadow of God
Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed. — Psalms 57:1
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. — Matthew 5:7
Author
Nancy G. Marquez
Summary: When heartbreak, troubles, enemies, or temptations surround us like lions and threaten to devour our faith, we may feel defenseless and see no way out. David faced a similar danger, but he lifted up his faith, pleaded for God’s mercy, and declared his trust in Him. We too need to take refuge under the shadow of His wings until the difficult times have passed. Dwelling in the shelter of the Most High enables us to recognize that God is our hope, our fortress, and the One in whom we trust. Though our hearts may be broken, His mercy is renewed every morning, and in Him we find refuge.
It is comforting to know that we have a place where we can take refuge while afflictions are assailing our souls. The psalmist David was going through afflictions; his life was in danger. So great was the danger that David declares (v. 4), “My life is among lions,” meaning that he was as though surrounded by wild beasts that wanted to devour his soul, and he was defenseless and had no way of escape. In other words, enemies, circumstances, and problems had risen against him like ferocious beasts, crowding around him, ready to devour his faith. This breaks the heart, especially when those who rise against us are merciless and relentless persecutors.
It was in those moments that the psalmist David lifted his faith toward God and began by pleading for His mercy—the mercy that is renewed every morning over our lives (Lamentations 3:23). David then made a declaration of trust in God and, finally, declared that he would take refuge in the shadow of His wings until those afflictions or difficult times had passed. This reminds us of the image in Psalm 91:1: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Only that person can say, “You are my hope and my fortress, my God in whom I trust” (Ps. 91:2, old version).
When we find ourselves among “lions,” assailed by wild beasts—problems, circumstances, and temptations—that crowd around us to destroy our faith and trust in God, let us follow the psalmist’s example and recognize that we need to take refuge in God in those moments.