Psalm 36:7

Psalm 36:7 – Unpack our verse for the week and share what you’ve learned

 (This post in response to Blog Hop for Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study)

I want to start unpacking this verse by first looking at 3 translations.  Looking at more than one translation helps me to understand scripture more clearly.  

Psalm 36:7 (NIV)  How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!  People take refuge in the shadow of your wings

Psalm 36:7 (KJV) How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

Psalm 36:7 (GNT) How precious, O God, is your constant love! We find^[a] protection under the shadow of your wings.

Combining all three verses I might come up with one verse that reads like this:

How excellent, priceless and precious is your unfailing, kind and constant love, O God! We, people, children, take refuge, find protection and put our trust under the shadow of your wings. 

To further unpack this verse--I got out my thesaurus and looked up some information on wings and made the chart below.

How	Price-less	Is	Your unfailing	Love	O God!	People	Take Refuge	In the shadow	Of Your Wings
what Degree	Cherished	Breathe	Bottomless	Affection	Creator	Joy	Asylum	Shade	Used for flight
	Expensive	Persist	Boundless	Appreciation	Father	family	Fortress	Cover	Used for protection
	Prized	Prevail	Steadfast	Devotion	King	nation	Haven	Protection	Camouflage
	Rare	Survive	Constant	Fondness			Hideaway	shelter	defense
	valued	Be	consistent	passion			Sanctuary		Heat & cool
	rich	Alive	Faithful	respect			Shelter
		endure	infallible	Tenderness			Harbor
			Persistent	Yearning			Home
			Unlimited	delight
			unrelenting

After looking at my chart I might again rewrite the verse as such

How priceless and cherished is your unfailing, boundless love, affection, devotion, and tenderness for ME?  Your love is so priceless, rich and rare that I (JOY) find in it a haven, hideaway, harbor and home beneath your wings of protection. 

Like many people, I am performance based--I love to do a good job and to get a pat on the back.  But in real life, sometimes we don't always get that pat on the back and an empty feeling inside can develop. In chapter 3 of A Confident Heart, Renee Swope mentions Proverbs 19:22 What a person desires is unfailing love.   I,  like Renee have tried to fill that emptiness or desire with something other than God's love--only to find disastrous results with that effort.  When I began to seek God's word and guidance, that void became filled.  

The great thing about Psalm 36:7 is that there is no reference at all about my performance or actions.  There is only reference to God's perfect  unfailing love and how that love is mine to claim.  I find much peace in all the words that describe love, unfailing, and refuge in my chart. 

On my break down of this Psalm 36:7 I found another verse that speaks of His love and hiding in the shadow of His wings.  Hope it speaks to you as it does to me.  

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me. (Psalms 17:8-9 NKJV)

Joy