Sheltering Wings, Psalm 91:2 Refuge and Fortress Wall Art

What is painted

On the left, a tall sweep of sage and moss green curls upward and over; on the right, a matching sweep of terracotta and peach leans in to meet it. Between them, on the top of a gentle rise, sits a small whitewashed house with a red tile roof and an arched door, three slim dark cypresses at its side and a few rounded bushes below. Beneath the hill run loose bands of ochre, rust and slate blue, like layers of earth.

The watercolor is soft and abstract, with visible brush movement and pigment pooling at the edges. Underneath, in a warm brown script: “He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust”, with Psalm 91:2.

Refuge and fortress

Psalm 91 opens with a statement and then a confession. Verse 1 describes the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High; verse 2 turns personal: “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress.” A refuge is a place to run to; a fortress is a place that holds when attacked. The psalmist claims both and adds a third word, “my God,” before the simple conclusion, “in him will I trust.”

Verse 4 goes on to speak of being covered with his feathers and trusting under his wings, which is the image this painting borrows. The wings here are not literal; they are shapes of land and sky folded around a home.

Psalm 91 was also quoted in the wilderness. In Matthew 4:6, the tempter uses its verses about angels to try to make Jesus throw himself down from the temple, and Jesus answers with another scripture. The psalm is a promise of protection, not an invitation to test God.

A housewarming gift that means something

With its little house under the wings, this is an obvious housewarming present, for a first apartment, a new family home or a couple who have just moved. It suits an entryway, a living room or a stairway wall. Father's Day is another occasion people choose it for, as a picture of what a father hopes his home can be.

Like all our Christian wall art, it is a fine art print on heavy archival matte paper, printed to order in the US and delivered free within the United States. It comes from 5x7 to 24x36, plus metric and A sizes. The Christian poster ships unframed with a white paper margin, and a digital file is also available.