In the Shadow of His Wings: 40 Uplifting Devotions Inspired by Birds

by Roslynn Long

The Perfect Devotional for Nature Lovers

Over the years, as nature photographer Roslynn Long captured amazing moments outdoors with her camera, she felt God bringing verses and lessons to mind. Every bird is itself a testament to God's creativity, but the lessons we learn from them go above and beyond mere admiration of nature.

From traditional and reflective to humorous and playful, each of these 40 devotions consists of a biblically based reading, stunning bird photography, and an elegant interior design.

Whether you love birds, admire nature, or are simply looking for an encouraging read, let this book bring a daily dose of peace, connection with the Lord, and enjoyment of nature into your home.

160 pages, Hardcover

Published July 19, 2022

Reviews

[Caitlin (CMAReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Bethany House for the free book.
The older I get, the more I understand why people bird watch. As a kid, I did not get it at all. :) But now, I was so excited to get the opportunity to read and review this devotional because of the birds. The pictures in this book are absolutely stunning. The details captured and the stories behind every picture made each picture and devotion set precious. I loved how Long was able to turn her days of photographing birds into devotions. I feel like this is a great devotion for when you're wanting to see how you can relate scripture to your everyday life. She had nuggets of wisdom about life and God that was intricately woven into just a few paragraphs per day. Each was short enough to squeeze into a busy schedule if needed, yet I wanted to take the time to ponder the words while marveling at the beautiful shots - and overall marvel at creation. This is a devotion that I will visit again and again.

[Conny Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Each bird photograph in this book is a kind of ‘Ebenezer’ of my birding expeditions–they are reminders of the love and care of the Lord in even the smallest matters of life,” Roslynn Long writes in the introduction to her devotional, In the Shadow of His Wings: 40 Uplifting Devotions Inspired by Birds.

~ What ~
This square one-hundred-and-sixty-page hardbound targets those who enjoy a devotional devoted to birds and how they correlate to God. With beautiful photographs by the author, it contains Biblical stories and applications that are taken from the Holy Bible. The NIV, ESV, NASB, NKVJ, and NLT versions are referenced.

From three to five pages each, the forty devotions have one to two full-color photographs each of all types of birds that include bluebirds, cardinals, ducks, eagles, geese, hawks, herons, hummingbirds, loons, mallards, meadowlarks, owls, sparrows, swans, and more. The devotions relate to various topics such as the Garden of Eden, the attributes and characteristics of God, what Jesus did for us, and how we can be more Christlike. Bible verses are gleaned from books like Genesis, I Samuel, Psalms, Jeremiah, Nahum, Matthew, Luke, John, Galatians, Colossians, Hebrews, James, and I John to name a few.

~ Why ~
Those who like birds and reading short devotions that focus on God will enjoy this book. The photographs are simple yet stunning as they display our Maker’s creativity. The readings blend how birds can remind us of the Lord’s love, care, and encouragement.

One devotional I appreciated was Don’t Look Down about Peter faltering when he walked on the water to Jesus, which is mentioned in Matthew 14. The writer ties the story to a mallard duckling having to jump off a wooden ledge; he looked at his mother instead of down. Only by focusing on Christ can we address our fears and take a leap of faith toward Him as we go through day-to-day trials.

~ Why Not ~
Those who do not have a personal relationship with the Almighty may not be interested in this type of book. Others may not care for the many stories that include the author’s personal experiences, although they do revert to God.

~ Wish ~
Since there are no page numbers listed, it is hard to find a specific bird listed at the back of the book. Adding a ribbon marker would be ideal.

~ Want ~
If you are or know a bird lover who loves looking at photographs and reading about God’s feathered creatures, this would be a thoughtful and uplifting devotional.

Thanks to Baker Publishing and the author for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Shadow of His Wings, Roslynn Long has written a beautiful book enclosed with colorful photos of birds. The book explored God’s creativity in designing the birds and the lessons we can learn from them about God. Each page included a photo of a different bird. She begins the book by sharing how in the Old Testament, the Israelites set up stones where they witnessed God’s incredible deliverance. Samuel set up a stone and called it, “Ebenezer” and this means stone of help. That’s where she come up with the idea to do a book devoted to small reminders of God’s love. She begins the book by looking at the sparrow and how numerous they are and have been around for generations. They used to be used as a sacrifice by poorer worshippers. You used to could get two sparrows for about 1 penny. Jesus used an illustration about how if one sparrow falls to the ground God is aware and how He cares for them. She used this example to teach readers how God hasn’t forgotten about us and how important we are to Him.



I would recommend this awesome colorful devotional to anyone who loves nature and looking at God’s beautiful creations. I loved reading about the indigo bunting and how this blue one really isn’t blue and there is no blue pigment at all. It is more invisible. She explained structural coloration and related it back to how God is invisible to our eyes but we can still believe in Him. Another favorite thing, I learned was about the hummingbird and how they have a fast metabolism and how they have to eat every 8-10 minutes. They even have to take the time to rest. She compared us to a hummingbird and how we all act very busy. She explained how important it is to rest and on the seventh day we are commanded too. There are tons of teachings we can learn from birds and this book will help strengthen your faith.









"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”

[Jacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Shadow of His Wings: 40 Uplifting Devotions Inspired by Birds is one of the most inspiring devotional books I’ve read! Each of the 40 devotions speak to the human soul in a unique way that offers the reader an authentic opportunity for personal reflection and rejuvenation. As I read each of the daily messages, I felt a connection with both the human author and God. Roslynn speaks to the reader, not as a “perfect” Christian, but as a friend, a neighbor, someone who struggles with daily life just like the rest of us. She gets the sadness, frustration and losses that weave throughout our days. She brings a sense of hope and peace to each of those days with relevant scripture and a gentle reminder that God’s love is constant and present in the ordinary parts of life, as well. Then there are the photographs. The birds. As diverse as humans and who experience daily challenges of their own. Yet, God’s presence is there, too. The reader can see these sometimes ordinary, sometimes unexpected, always magnificent creatures through Roslynn’s artistic lens and feel joy, awe, serenity and hope. Make no mistake, anyone can take a picture; but it takes the vision, commitment, perseverance and detailed focus of an artist to capture all the complexities of the human experience through the lives of birds. Roslynn shares both her gifts of wisdom and bird photography in this beautiful book.

[Sue Forry · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Shadow of His Wings by Roslynn Long is a 40 day uplifting devotional inspired by birds. Each page features a beautiful photo of a bird, scripture as well as a devotional. Devotionals are based on authors personal experience as well as biblical references. The photos that accompany featuring the birds are absolutely stunning. Many life lessons can be learned in nature often through birds and this devotional features a few of those lessons. This is a unique gift which is perfect for the nature or bird lover. Also perfect for one’s own journey and focusing more on nature and God's creation. Scripture quotations are from a variety of Bible translations and versions. Very well done devotional book. I would recommend. I was given a free copy from the publisher for my honest review which I was happy to do.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photography of birds is paired with traditional Christian meditations. The book has 40 separate meditations, so I decided to use it as a daily Lenten devotional this year. The daily readings center on nature, specifically Long's preferred subject of birds. She shares little stories about her birding adventures and relates them to biblical concepts about God's guidance, care, and protection. This book was gifted to me by my sister Mary Lynn, who was a longtime friend of the author's mother. Lynn says; "This lovely book was written and photographed by the daughter of my dear friend, Ramona Nelson. Ramona was a gifted and thoughtful Bible teacher, and her husband, Roger, was a 1st class photographer. It delights me to see how Roslynn is carrying on the abilities that her parents nurtured."

[Sandy Quandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Shadow of His Wings: 40 Uplifting Devotions Inspired by Birds by Roslynn Long, is a gorgeous book filled with thoughtful devotions, alongside stunning photographs which the author took. Each devotion shares a lesson and scripture the image taught the photographer/author.

If you appreciate God's creation brought to life through photography, alongside applicable devotions, then I suggest you find a copy of In the Shadow of His Wings: 40 Uplifting Devotions Inspired by Birds by Roslynn Long.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House for a fair and honest review, which is exactly what I gave.

[Vicky Sluiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 40 day devotional has beautiful photos that the author took of birds in the wild. Each devotion is about two pages and is written with a specific bird in mind. Scripture pertaining to that devotion and a photo of the bird or birds are included for each day.

I found each day a peaceful read, and it had me noticing the birds around me more than usual. If you’re looking for a sweet devotional with beautiful photos then I recommend this one. (Releases July 19, 2022)

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always looking for a devotional book that includes insights in nature. This book meets my expectations and then some. Roslynn Long combined photographs of a variety of birds and then placed her beautiful and uplifting words to make a complete devotion. Each picture was taken with such care to show each bird in their beauty. All in all this is a book that can help each of us to look at the creations of God in a glorious new way.
I was given this book by Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Cathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

🦅 Very much enjoyed the photography! The short devotions were also good. 🐦