Shadow….Somewhere today, somebody will watch to see if a groundhog sees his shadow. What’s the deal with being scared of a shadow? A shadow is simply the darkness that is cast by placing a body between light and what the shadow is cast upon. Why be concerned about a shadow?…
There is one shadow we are all concerned about. ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me..’ (Ps. 23:4) Oh, you may not think about it much if you’re healthy, especially if you’re young. But when something happens to endanger your life, you are concerned about staying alive. When the doctor has some bad report, you are concerned about staying alive. When your child falls and comes up bloody and screaming, you’re concerned about the shadow of death. Those are times when the shadow of death shows up, and when we see it, we wish for a way to escape. Like the groundhog, we want to stay away from it.
Just as the groundhog causes the shadow he sees, we’ve caused this shadow of death. ‘..you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it…you will surely die.’ (Gen. 2:17) If Eve hadn’t picked it, if Adam hadn’t joined her, even if every human being since that time had been perfect in obedience…I’d have done it. I’ve chosen the knowledge of evil often. Finding out for myself…disobedience…only to find out God was just protecting me when He said ‘don’t.
Ever since that time in The Garden, death has loomed…shadowing our lives, because there is sin between us and our Perfect Creator God, we all will die. There is no hole to crawl in …no escaping this shadow. Unless….
‘I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life….he has crossed over from death to life..’ (Jesus’ words in John 5:24)
‘all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into HIS death…’(Rom. 6:3 emphasis mine) ‘..be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life.’(Rev. 2:10)
Our bodies will die, they are corruptible. Perishable. But ‘in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye…we will be raised imperishable and all be changed…clothed with the imperishable…immortality…death swallowed up in victory.’ (1Cor. 15:52-54) ’..death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man…in Christ, all will be made alive..as in Adam, all die. so in Christ all will be made alive.’(1Cor. 15:21,22)
The groundhog runs back into his hole in the ground. I run to the empty tomb of Jesus Christ. Death is defeated, and I’ve accepted the escape offered. This body is wearing out…it will stop working someday. The heart will stop pumping the blood…but my life is eternal. This body that will perish in a grave one day, will be replaced by one as glorious as that of Jesus Christ when He came out of His tomb. ….Talk about changes !!
