Under His Wings, Psalm 91:4 Olive Wreath and Nest

What is painted

Two olive branches heavy with green fruit curve up and around to form an open wreath. Inside it stands an upright tablet of pale weathered stone, rounded at the top, and on it the verse appears as if carved: “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust.” Below the text, a small leaf ornament and the reference Psalm 91:4.

At the base of the tablet, where the two branches meet, sits a woven twig nest holding three small speckled eggs. There is no bird in the picture. The palette is olive green, soft gold and warm stone on a cream ground, painted with fine detail and gentle shadows.

Under the shadow of his wings

Psalm 91 speaks to someone living under threat, and it answers fear with images of protection: a refuge, a fortress, a secret place. Verse 4 moves from stone walls to something softer, a bird spreading its wings over its young. The rest of the verse says: “his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

The image appears elsewhere in Scripture. In the book of Ruth, Boaz blesses Ruth the Moabitess as one who has come to trust under the wings of the God of Israel. And in the Gospels, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and says he would have gathered its children together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings.

The empty nest in the painting is not a sad one. The eggs are whole and waiting, and the verse above them is the promise of cover.

For a new baby, a mother, or a hard season

The nest makes this print a lovely baptism gift or nursery decoration, and a meaningful present for a mother, a mother-to-be or a woman who has waited for a child. Its calm green and gold palette also suits a living room or bedroom.

Because Psalm 91 is prayed so often in illness and loss, many people give it as a sympathy gift or keep it by the bed in a difficult time. As Christian wall art it sits well with other olive and botanical prints. This Christian poster is printed to order in the US on heavy archival matte paper and ships unframed.