Shadows

the REST of the week #96

It’s the rest of the week. How do you feel about shadows?

Star shadows in the morning light.

Shadows can be scary. They hold space for the unknown and serve as hiding places for real or imagined dangers. And the way in which an ordinary object blocks the light can warp its projected form, creating an eerie distortion of reality.

But what if you are the one hiding in the shadows? Have you ever studied your surroundings unobserved from the safety of a secret hiding place?

There is an invitation to rest in Psalm 91. Jewish tradition attributes this Psalm to Moses’ writing during the wilderness wanderings, collected into the Psalms by David—who, no doubt, sang it more than once during his own wilderness experiences.

Sometimes, when I’m distracted from sleep, I whisper this ancient song, visualizing each scene and considering what it means to dwell in God’s shelter and hide in his shadow.

Here are the first four verses in the NLT (I will read the entire Psalm in the voice over):

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

The nice thing about God’s shadow is that it is never a shadow of turning away from us. He is pure Light, pushing the darkness towards a final defeat, we can hide in him and observe what is going on around us, curious to see how he will work things out, learning to rest and to wait (see James 1:17).

Whatever your shadows, my you be able to rest in them and may your rest be sweet.

Alicia