Singing In His Shadow

Hi, I'm Joni and I've been singing a lot this week... but I've got one more...

Under His wings I am safely abiding

Though the night deepens and tempests are wild

Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me

He has redeemed me and I am His child.

Under His wings, under His wings

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings my soul shall abide

Safely abiding forever

            I sure do love the words to this old song, "Under His Wings."  I often sing it as a prayer in the middle of the night when I am unable to sleep.  During dark hours when my mind is tired or my thoughts are scattered, I "pray" the safe, reliable words from a time-honored hymn (I'll sing quietly so as to not wake my husband, Ken).  One of two things usually happens when I sing quietly:  my worrisome thoughts disappear or I fall asleep!

            In more than a dozen places in Scripture, God bids us to draw close to Him and find shelter - in most places, it says refuge.  Or in His wings, under His wings.  Psalm 91:4 says, "He will cover you with his feathers, under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."  Wow! That God describes Himself so often as a powerful and beautiful bird arching His protective wing over us for our refuge, should tell us something.  It should assure us that we can always find shelter, we can always find refuge and safety.  And that, friend, is reason enough to sing, don't you think?

            So today, may I challenge you to think about memorizing the words to a favorite hymn or two and tuck them away in your heart for those late-night restless hours in bed when you can't sleep.  Let God's Word, as well as a Christ-honoring hymn, remind you of His precious and abiding faithfulness.  Oh, and one more thing:  as I've told you a couple of times this week, don't forget to click on joniandfriendsradio.org and sing along with me - I've posted a video clip of me singing in the chapel here at the International Disability Center and the acoustics are so great in that chapel, you've just got to sing along with me, really you do! 

            Usually I go to the chapel each morning when I come to work at Joni and Friends... yes, I pray to get the day started, but also down there before I take the ramp to the second floor to my office I also sing.  Once or twice I've encountered a few people praying in the chapel in the morning and sometimes they join me in singing.  So again, take a minute to visit me at joniandfriendsradio.org, warm up your voice, and chime in, would you?  Because together we can find refuge, shelter and safety under His wings.  Again that's joniandfriendradio.org and while you're on our radio page you can explore some different aspects of our ministry at Joni and Friends. We've got a whole page posted with specific prayer requests, things you need to be interceding about as we do our work at Joni and Friends taking wheelchairs and Bibles around the world.  And we are still in the midst of our season of Family Retreats so don't forget to pray about them as well. Lots of things to do at our Joni and Friends radio page. So until next time, keep your voice warmed up and keep listening, keep singing -- singing along with "Joni and Friends."

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