Wednesday, February 2, 2022

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23: 4 New King James Version)

                 Are you afraid of your own shadow?

                Shadows can be a foreboding experience. Even sinister or menacing. A shadow on an x-ray can cause fear and anxiety. A shadow in an alley way can seem threatening as to whom is lurking there. A shadow of a brewing storm as it blocks the sun is troublesome. Children see monsters in the shadows of a darkening room at bedtime. Many of us worry at shadows about the things we face and loom in the days ahead.

                The cynical writer of Ecclesiastes wonders: “In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?” (Ecclesiastes 6:12, New Living Translation)

                The last two years and more have been overshadowed by the Covid pandemic. It has affected everything we do or want to do. It has coloured our attitudes, masked our optimism, woven its shadows in every corner of our lives. For many, it has felt like the valley of the shadow of death.  We are exhausted from living with it, tired of hearing about it, and weary of fearing it. But its shadow is not easily being dispersed. “Our days on earth are as fleeting as a shadow.” (Job 8:9, NLT)

                The good news is that we are not alone as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. A new meaning of shadow takes shape in the gloom and darkness. “How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 36: 7, NLT)

                The comforting imagery of being under the protective aegis of our God scatters the shadows of threat and peril. “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.” (Psalm 57:1, NLT)

                Respite. Sanctuary. Haven. Peace. All are experienced when we find our security in God and his grace and love.

                Picture a mother bird protecting her fledglings in her nest. Against predators. Against storms. Against starvation. Putting herself at risk. “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” (Psalm 91:4, NLT)

                Under the protective shadow of God’s Love we  then see the world in a different light, ironically. “And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” (Matthew 4: 16, NLT) It has been said, “It is only through shadows that one comes to know the light.” (St. Catherine of Sienna) As we wait under God’s care, we are given the strength, courage, aptitude and spirit to face those threatening shadows because we know that God is with us. God has not forgotten us. God does not leave us in the dark. God does not throw us away into the darkness. God seeks to break through the shadows, “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”  (Luke 1:79, NLT)

                “There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.” (Isaiah 25: 7, NLT)

                Sounds good to me!          

Dale