Shadow | Living in God's Shadow

I have always enjoyed maps. I like town or city maps, state maps, country maps, world maps, road maps, topographic maps, even weather maps; I like all of them. Maps allow me to plan, they let me know that someone else has traveled this way before me and they tell me how to get where I am going.

Perhaps this love of maps goes back to my childhood when my family lived in Montana and my grandparents lived in Pennsylvania. Almost every summer we would pack up the car and start the 2000-mile trip to see grandmas and grandpas, knowing that after about two weeks there we would start the 2000-mile trip home. I would see my dad study the map in preparation for the trip and at various times during the trip. These travels were in the late 1970’s when the speed limit for the entire United States was still 55 mph so the trip took about three days each way. I can state from personal knowledge that there are a lot of roads between Montana and Pennsylvania; a lot of places where the wrong turn will put you many miles from your intended destination. A map was a necessity to make the trip as directly and efficiently as possible.

I was recently pondering how incredibly useful it would be to have a map that told us how to pursue God. I am trying to live in His shadow so knowing how to get there is critically important. The entire Bible reveals God to us, but where in Scripture can I find a clear, succinct map of how to get close enough to God to live in His shadow? Suddenly, I realized that the map I was looking for had been around since the time of King Solomon. This map is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 it says, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (NRSV) These instructions provide a very clear map that leads from a lukewarm, or possibly cold, life to a life that is in hot pursuit of God. For those who choose to follow it, this map creates a desire to live in God’s shadow. While this verse concisely lays out the path to God’s presence and favor, the challenges of putting each of the steps into action are significant, but certainly not impossible.

The first action required in the verse is to humble one’s self. Not an easy thing to do. Personally, I like me; I think I have good ideas and that I do things correctly, because of that I should be honored, right? If I am displaying this attitude, even if only in my mind, I am proud, not humble.

I remember when God asked me to begin working with Spanish speakers I had several reasons it would not work for me to obey. The first reason I gave seemed like it should end God’s request. I did not speak Spanish. The second reason was similar, I did not know or understand the culture and customs of Latin Americans. As I look back I realize that I was proud and the pride made me fearful. I would have to admit that I did not know things. I would have to learn a new language and new culture and customs. Worst of all in the process of learning I would likely make some mistakes and be embarrassed. I might commit some social faux pas and be laughed at. This was too much for my pride to consider. Fortunately, my desire to live in God’s shadow overpowered my pride and I began to work on learning Spanish and learning about the culture of Latin Americans. Yes, I made mistakes. Yes, I was embarrassed. The mistakes and the embarrassment were made more tolerable when I realized that my choice to not listen to the protests of my pride had moved me closer to God.

Humility is not an easy thing to achieve. Usually, if you think you have humility you still need to work on it. Humility is one of those character traits that others see in you, but you honestly cannot see in yourself. Just letting God direct how you live your life day by day is an exercise in humility. This forces your pride to surrender control of your life to God, meaning that God and not your pride decides what is best for you, what you will do with your assets, how you will treat people and a host of other matters that each one of us deals with on a daily basis.

Biblical examples indicate that we are only usable to God if we are willing to be humble before Him. Think of King Saul, who started out humble and then allowed pride to take over. Even King Solomon started out humble but over time allowed pride of his God given abilities and resources to cause him to directly disobey the first commandment. (The command not to have any other gods.)

A present day example of something being unusable would be if I tried to use a map of Europe to plan a trip from my home in Montana to the state of Colorado. The map of Europe might be beautifully drawn and very colorful, but it simply would not have the information I would need to plan the trip I wanted to make. Similarly, God cannot use our selfish pride to bring us into His presence. Entry into God’s presence and living in God’s shadow, requires a humble heart. A heart that is willing to allow God to work it into the shape He wants it to be. The humble heart is willing to be used, as God wants to use it. The humble heart recognizes that God is in control and does not fight against that fact.

I wish I could tell you that I have being humble, mastered. I wish I could tell you that I am never tempted to want what I want; instead of what God asks. I cannot. Being humble and living in God’s shadow requires daily choices to be sensitive to how God is instructing you to act. It is the belief that God has your best interests in mind, and the certainty that God loves you and wants you near to Him, living in His shadow, viewing Him as your refuge.

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I grew up in Western Montana. The July and August temperatures would often be near or above 100 degrees. The sand would get so hot you could feel the heat radiate right through your shoes. The concrete sidewalk would burn the feet of any barefoot child who tried to walk on it. It was hot and dry in the sun. Any sunlit lawn that not regularly watered would soon dry up and die off for the rest of the summer, becoming a prickly, unwelcoming place for bare feet.

The areas that were shaded due to being in the shadow of some other object were a different story. In the shade, the temperature would drop significantly. The lawn could survive without constant watering. In the shadowed areas, the grass was welcoming for bare feet. The burned feet of the kid who forgot and ran onto the sunlit sidewalk could find the soothing coolness of the grass in the shadowed, shaded areas.

Most of my life, I have only really sought out shadows in the summertime. Maybe it was because I felt the need to be in the shade more often in the summer. I noticed one thing about shadows. Staying close to the object that is casting the shadow is required to enjoy the benefits of its shelter. The closer you are to the object or person casting the shadow, the easier it is to stay in the shadow. This realization took on more importance when I read Psalm 91:1, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (NIV) As I contemplated this connection and reviewed my life, I realized that most of the time, when I got myself into difficult circumstances, it was because I had wandered away from the “shelter of the Most High” and had thereby left the “shadow of the Almighty.” I created many of my problems by not living in God’s shadow. My ideas and plans seemed perfect to me. What could go wrong? I had thought of it so it would certainly work. Only, it did not. And when I looked up from pursuing my idea or thought, I realized I was damaging the very thing I was trying to seek, protect, or save. I also realized that in the pursuit of my “brilliant” idea, it had led me in a different direction than God was moving and caused me to leave God’s shadow. I did not defect on purpose; I just failed to notice that my trajectory had varied from God’s.

When I was a small child, I can remember walking on and in my parent’s shadows. Sometimes I was pretending that if I stepped on them, the shadows would be unable to move or other times, perhaps playing shadow tag in any of its various forms. I would be at a disadvantage here because parents cast more massive shadows than small children, and they can tag you with their shadow rather easily. Occasionally I would try to make my stride match the stride of their shadow. My legs would stretch to reach, and I might even have to sneak an extra step to catch up.

I think I get it now. I think I fully understand. I have to pursue God if I am going to stay in His shadow. It is not that God is trying to get away; instead, it is a matter that I get swept up in my plans and desires and fail to notice when He moves. When I was a child walking with my parents, as long as I was attentive, I could keep up with them and stay in their shadows. When I got distracted, they and their shadows would move on, and I would be unaware, left a few steps behind, and outside of their shadows.

Living in God’s shadow is not a promise that life will coast along with nothing but happiness and blessings. There will still be days when it seems like everything falls apart. There will always be difficult seasons in life. I am saying that living in God’s shadow and pursuing that shadow will help you avoid many of the messes that you will get into pursuing your own “perfect” plan. If you are living in God’s shadow, that means you are living close enough to Him to ask Him for wisdom and allow Him to inform your choices.

I don’t think I ever realized the safety shadows provide until I raised chickens. I have watched as the chickens scratch and peck in the yard, seeming oblivious to everything except the bug they were chasing. Suddenly one of them, usually the rooster, would give a warning call, and then they would all scatter seeking cover. Some would go into the shadowy coop. Some to the shadows under the porch and some to the shadow of a sizable wild rose bush. The reason for the warning call was usually because some predator was in the area, a hawk, an osprey, or maybe even a bald eagle. Any chicken that did not heed the warning and remained in the yard became a target for the predator. If I were outside at the time, I would move toward the lone chicken that was the predator’s focus. My presence would cause the predator to leave. The chicken would then usually join its fellows in the shadows. Like the chickens finding safety in the shadows, I find safety by dwelling in God’s shadow. Living in God’s shadow does not mean that I do not face temptation. It means I live close to God, who is my source of strength and who enables me to resist temptation. It does not mean that I will not face difficult times, but it does mean that I live close to the only One who can come running to my rescue no matter where I am in the world and no matter what my need may be.

In this blog I invite you to journey with me. Together we can pursue God and live in the safety of His shadow.

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The Map

The Safe Shadow