I tend to notice things that other people might think odd. It’s a quirk of mine that I don’t particularly dislike, even if I feel weird about it sometimes. Like one time when a small plane was flying overhead and it was low enough to cast a clear and defined shadow. I thought, “Oh, I could write a blog called ‘When the sun is out, every low-flying plane casts a shadow.'” But what does that even mean? So the title was all I had. Maybe someone more perceptive or insightful could extract some deep meaning from it.
I started thinking about shadows and recalled the Bible verse in Psalms about valleys. It’s a popular part of chapter 23.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;”
Shadows. They’re a peculiar thing. They only show up with the sun is out. So I’d like to be encouraged from this verse. Obviously the “…for you are with me” is the MOST encouraging thing, but also I think there is something to take hold of in the fact that when you or I are walking in a shadow, it means the sun is shining. It’s just that something is blocking its light. Now, I love the sun. When it’s a cloudy, dark day, I tend to be less productive, less energetic, less motivated. But when it’s a nice, sunny day, I feel like the world is my oyster. I like going outside even just to feel the sun warm my skin. Things just seem better, more cheery, when it’s bright out.
So maybe if we think of God as the light in our life, His presence alone can cheer our spirit, make us fearless. Like the DCTalk song, “I wanna be in the light,” things are better when there is nothing blocking the light in our life. But God knows us better than that. Sometimes we are sad, discouraged, etc. But even when something as serious as death (or failure, disappointment, loss, Cardi B music, etc) is causing a discouraging shadow and we feel like we’re in one of life’s valleys, the sun–the light– is bright and it’s not out of reach. God is not out of reach!
Matthew 4:16 says, “…the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
I don’t really know how to wrap this up but I think the next time I see the shadow of an airplane I’ll be reminded that there’s only a shadow because there’s light. Shadows come and go, some faster than others! But the sun, the light, God, is always shining and helping us walk THROUGH the valleys and into His light again. What is blocking the light in your life? How can that thing, which is causing the shadow over you, go away? (I’m asking myself this, too)
Thanks for stopping by!
-Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness 