Annie and I took our first late night walk together last Thursday evening. We didn’t get very far because the neighbor left his yard light on. Annie soon discovered something was following her. It was dark and no matter how fast or slow she went it stayed with her. She pulled the leash to go home so I released her. She ran as fast as she could go, but that thing chased her right into the alcove to the door.
Shadows can be frightening and also comforting. Consider Psalm 17:8, “Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” That’s one very comforting shadow. Too bad they are all not that way because we must also consider Psalm 23:4, “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . .” Just as shadows grow longer toward the evening of day so that shadow grows longer in the evening of life.
I cannot imagine what that must be like without having Jesus in one’s life. Though the shadow looms for me, it isn’t terrifying. Yes, we will miss our families. Perhaps we will miss seeing our grandchildren graduate from college or see our great grand children graduate from eighth grade, but we know it is not the end. Paul so eloquently put it in II Timothy 1:12, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
There are no shadows dark enough or deep enough to swallow up the light of Jesus. He is the light of the world. He is the resurrection. The only shadows He creates are good ones.
Written by Roger Bothwell on April 12, 2010
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org