Mother Bird and Nest, Psalm 91:4 Under His Wings Wall Art

What is painted

The nest sits in the fork of an old oak branch that curves in from the left, thick with lobed leaves. The mother is a plain little songbird in brown and buff, her breast puffed out, one wing spread down and around the two chicks pressed against her side. Only their round heads show. Nothing about her is grand; the protection comes from being close.

Behind the branch, the land falls away into a wide valley of soft greens and grays: layered hills, a river, groves of trees, a village with a slender church steeple, and pale mountains fading into the sky. The painting has a hazy, atmospheric watercolor feel. Above it, in a classic serif, reads “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust”, with Psalm 91:4 in small letters.

A mother's wing in the Bible

Psalm 91 is one of the great psalms of protection. It begins with the one who “dwelleth in the secret place of the most High” and abides “under the shadow of the Almighty”, and verse 4 turns that shadow into the image of a bird covering its young. The verse continues: “his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” Feathers and armor in the same sentence: soft and strong at once.

The Bible uses this picture of God more than once. Boaz blesses Ruth for coming to trust under the wings of the God of Israel (Ruth 2:12), and several psalms speak of hiding in the shadow of God's wings. Jesus uses it of himself as he weeps over Jerusalem: “how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37).

It is a remarkably tender way to speak of the Almighty, and it is one reason Psalm 91 is read so often in hospitals, at bedsides and at funerals.

For comfort, and for mothers

Many people choose this print as a sympathy gift, for a family that has lost someone, or for a friend going through illness, because it says “you are covered” without needing words of its own. It is equally at home as a Mother's Day present or in a nursery or bedroom, where the nest and the chicks speak for themselves.

The muted green and beige palette suits bedrooms, hallways and living rooms alike. Like all our Christian wall art, it comes as a fine art print on thick archival matte paper, printed to order in the United States, with free US shipping. You can order it from 5x7 to 24x36, or in metric and A sizes. This Christian poster is shipped without a frame, with plain paper around the image, and is also available as a digital file.