LESSONS IN THE SHADOW

 

LESSONS IN THE SHADOW He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. Isaiah 49:2 “In the shadow.” We must all go there sometimes. The glare of the daylight is too brilliant; our eyes unable to discern the delicate shades of color, or appreciate neutral tints—such as the shadowed chamber of sickness, the shadowed house of mourning, the shadowed life from which the sunlight has gone. But don't be afraid! It is the shadow of God’s hand. He is leading you. There are lessons that can be learned only there. He is only keeping you close until the moment comes when He can send you most swiftly and surely on some errand in which He will be glorified. —F.B. Meyer In some spheres the shadow condition is the condition of greatest growth. The beautiful Indian corn never grows more rapidly than in the shadow of a warm summer night. The sun curls the leaves in the sultry noon light, but they quickly unfold, if a cloud slips over the sky. There is a service in the shadow that is not possible in the sunshine. The world of starry beauty is never seen at its best till the shadows of night slip over the sky. There are beauties that bloom in the shade that will not bloom in the sun. There is much greenery in lands of fog and clouds and shadow. The florist has “evening glories” now, as well as “morning glories.” The “evening glory” will not shine in the noon’s splendor, but comes to its best as the shadows of evening deepen. If all of life were sunshine, Our faces would be fain To feel once more upon them The cooling plash of rain. —Henry Van Dyke From Streams in the Desert, updated