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We thought fall had arrived, but she fooled us. We needed some life in the shade. 

One year, one of our grandsons played travel soccer, which meant all his games were held some distance away and were played on weekends. For several weeks, we had enjoyed mild temperatures—unusual for September in our neck of the South. We hoped for one thing: fall would arrive early, and we’d see no more ninety-degree days. But we were wrong.

As the weekend approached, the temperatures climbed. Meteorologists forecasted that Sunday would be the hottest day of the week. Great, I thought, now we must sit in the afternoon sun for almost two hours without shade. But grandparents will do nearly anything for grandchildren—and we planned to.

After spending all morning at church, we hit the road for the almost two-hour drive to the game field. We had been there once before, so we knew the route. We stopped at a local grocery store to eat lunch in the first small town we came to, then headed on to the ballfield.

The sun blazed by late afternoon. Before leaving that morning, I told my wife we needed our two large umbrellas. Good thing I thought of that. We snuggled under their shadows. And while they didn’t provide cool air, they provided cooler air by offering shade. Although the sweat rolled down our bodies, we didn’t perspire as much as we would have—or as much as our daughter and son-in-law, who had no umbrellas. I hated the heat, but not as much as I would have if I had sat in direct sunshine.

The psalmist pictures all humanity under the shadow of God’s wings. He doesn’t mean everyone knows God or is known by God through a personal relationship. The Bible does not mention universal salvation. But since God is the Creator of all, everyone dwells under the shadow of His wings as chicks do under a mother hen’s wings.

The image evokes comfort and protection. A mother hen is ruthless when protecting her chicks from danger. Her warmth initially hatches the eggs and later provides them with warmth, shade, and security.

God, too, is responsible for our being and existence. He breathes the breath of life into our lungs and starts our heartbeat. He forms our bodies and enables us to live outside our mother’s wombs. When in a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, He promises to be our God and never to leave or forsake us. He will be our God forever and into eternity. During our earthly sojourn, He will walk us through all circumstances—good and bad, enjoyable and unenjoyable, easy and taxing. The shadow of His wings will cover us.

Life is difficult, but it is bearable, enjoyable, and pleasant under the shadow of God’s wings. No other place exists like the shadow of God’s wings. Enjoy it.