Friday, April 29, 2016

LIVING IN THE SHADOWS

                                           LIVING IN THE SHADOWS




Psa 57:1  Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul
trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge
, until these calamities be overpast.
Psa 57:2  I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all
 things for me.
Psa 57:3  He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach
 of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy
 and his truth.
Psa 57:4  My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are
set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
 and their tongue a sharp sword.
Psa 57:5  Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be
 above all the earth.
Psa 57:6  They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down:
 they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen
 themselves. Selah.
Psa 57:7  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and
give praise.
Psa 57:8  Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will
awake early.
Psa 57:9  I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto
thee among the nations.
Psa 57:10  For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto
 the clouds.
Psa 57:11  Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be
above all the earth. 


As a person who just found out who she was,I readily identify with the Psalmist’s
thought of “finding rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” In summer, with the
unrelenting sun scorching the landscape and no trees in sight, what a blessing
 when a small cloud drifts between you and the sun, shielding you from its hot
 glare. Though it may be for only a moment, that “shadow” gives greatly
 appreciated respite from the sun. That is the thought expressed in this verse.
 The difference is that instead of a brief respite, “living in God’s shadow”
gives permanent rest to His children. Ely was like a desert as was Las Vegas,
so dry so hot

Instead of “living in God’s shadow,” far too many people live “in the shadows.”
 According to psychologist Carl Jung, those shadows are the unknown dark sides
 of one’s personality - “a perceived personal inferiority.” They are “instinctive,
 irrational, and prone to psychological projection.” Jung argues that if these
 projections remain hidden, the shadows “have a free hand which can insulate
and harm individuals by acting as a constantly thickening veil of illusion between
 the self and the real world.” “Living in the shadows” is a way of saying that a
 person feels nearly invisible. That invisibility protects them from recognition,
 helps them cover their deeds, and is a method of survival by avoiding attention.

In contrast, living in “God’s shadow” brings His children a multitude of blessings
 and is a life “lived in the open.”

• Psalm 17:8 says that under the shadow of His wings, God gives us the same
protection as He does “the apple of His eye” (the “apple” being the pupil of the eye).

• Psalm 23:4 reminds us that “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
 of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they
 comfort me.” Though this verse is often quoted at funerals, we need to remember
 that in every moment of our lives we walk in that shadow, and God always is with us.

• God demonstrates His kindness to us when we put our trust in the shadow
of His wings (Psalm 36:7

• Living in the shadow of God’s wings gives us a reason for rejoicing (Psalm 63:7)

Dr. Austin O’Malley (1858-1932), physician and author, wrote this about
 shadows: “When walking through the ‘valley of shadows,’ remember,
 a shadow is cast by a Light." That “Light” is Jesus (John 8:12). Whether
 living “in the shadows” or “in the shadow,” we need to remember the Light
 which causes both is the Lord. For those “in the shadows,” it is the light
 from which they try to escape, and that makes them fearful and scared.
As John 3:20 says: “All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it
 for fear their sins will be exposed.” However, no one cannot escape the
 Light, for He is omnipresent (see Psalm 139:7-12). But for those who
live in Satan’s clutch, Jesus “…gives light to those who sit in darkness and
in the shadow of death, and guides us to the path of peace” (Luke 1:79).

As 1 Chronicles 29:15 reminds us, “We are here for only a moment,
 visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us.
 Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without
 a trace.” For that reason, before it is too late, we need to make the
 decision to move “out of the shadows” and “into God’s shadow"
until the danger passes by.

Remember that we are to be the light of this world, therefore let your
light so shine no matter the darkness that is around. For the Light of
God will dispell the darkness of this world. To Jesus be the Praise. For
He is our Light.

Agape
Zelma


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