Editorial May 9, 1994 Issue

"Under the shadow of thy wings"

William E. Moody

It was a time when I felt the need, perhaps more than at any other point in my life, to realize God's presence, to have confidence that He would guide me, to feel safe in His care. As I walked along a country road early one evening, I was praying earnestly when I first noticed the hawk. She had appeared suddenly from a dense stand of cypress trees. I stopped where I was to watch her progress. The evening thermals lifted her higher, as she circled directly overhead. There was such freedom in her flight, such unlabored grace.

A clear message came through. I recognized that there must be a divine grace and liberty meant for all of God's creatures. This, I knew, had to include me. No matter how tangled and rough is the terrain of our lives, if we open our thought to God in prayer—open our wings—and trust entirely the divine will, His power and love do carry us above the confusion, anxiety, and uncertainties of mortal existence. We see the way to proceed with our lives—maybe not everything at once, but step by step. God's truth, His wisdom, will guide us; the challenges we confront will be resolved. I saw this demonstrated in my own experience from day to day. And an abiding peace, a conviction that God was with me, replaced the fear and doubts.

In the Bible's Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah writes, "As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it" (Isa. 31:5). The Bible contains many passages that refer to God's care and the safety He provides His children, even as a mother bird cares for her nestlings. The Psalmist declares, for example, "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings" (Ps. 36:7).

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