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.