The Shadows // Psalm 91:1

How do you read today’s verse? My first reading in preparation for today’s message had to do with the darkness and perceived scariness of shadows. I recall being a little kid and having to work through the fear of a shadow cast into my bedroom by a tree right outside the window. I knew that shadow couldn’t hurt me, but the appearance could be scary; especially when the wind would blow and the shadow would shift. There are still times when I see unusual shadows where I have to think through whatever is casting them. That process can be helpful, but it isn’t precisely relevant to the context of a shadow as presented in Psalm 91:1. The shadow in this case has more to do with the shade of shelter. This would have been particularly meaningful in a desert climate. The wide open landscape provides very little shelter and relief from the scorching sun. As King David continued in Psalm 91, he wrote about how God is the trustworthy shelter available to all day or night. And knowing that God is light in whom there is no darkness (1 John 1:5), we are reminded that anything that casts a shadow does so in its proximity to the Lord. So, if you are working through some apprehensive fear right now, know that the source of the light is far bigger and more powerful than anything that stands between you. That perspective will truly help you find peace in all shadows so you can rest eternally in the peace and power of Almighty God.