She’s friendly, loving, intelligent, and extremely protective. Keita is our two-year-old rottweiler. Despite three times through professional training she is the most stubborn dog we’ve ever owned. One of her quirks we have not conquered, she decided we needed protection from shadows. Our living room is an A-frame and the smallest lamp makes a large shadow on the inclined ceiling. Keita goes into a hyper-protective mode when we stand up and she sees our moving image. She jumps around and barks like we’re being attacked by a bear. We are at a loss of how to convince her our shadows present no danger—it’s just a shadow.
Scripture uses the word shadow 52 times. The most beloved example, common at funerals, is Psalms 23:4, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me. A shadow is merely a dark figure or image cast on the ground or some surface when something blocks the light and is usually shaped like the object blocking it. Numerous expressions exist in society: afraid of own her shadow, without a shadow of doubt, under the shadow of old sins, he cast a big shadow, living in the shadow of someone, etc. Psychologist label someone afraid of shadows with Sciophobia (sci—shadow; phobia—fear). A field of art has developed around shadows from images for children made with one’s hand, all the way to displays in museums of elaborate scenes from ordinary objects. Plato built an entire philosophy around his belief we are only shadows of our reality. Satan utilized shadows to bring fear to believers.
David grew up as a shepherd caring for his father’s sheep. He understood the dangers and how to protect them. When relocating sheep to a new grazing area, he often had to lead them through valleys and narrow gorges with lofty sides or ravines overhung by high precipitous cliffs. Darkness and shadows abounded. David knew the route and that the shadows presented no threat, but the sheep perceived them as a danger—like my dog. They could only trust their shepherd. David begins this Psalms the Lord is my shepherd [Yahweh-roah](v1). He reflects on his experience applying that to how well God shepherds his people. Jesus declared, “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11). The bible compares us to sheep, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psa 100:3). Seeing the people . . . like sheep without a shepherd (Mat 9:36). The latter part of verse 11 expresses His love as the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Wednesday afternoon with my research and meditation for this SW complete, I was ready to write. Little did I know how applicable this would become in a few moments. My wife came into my office struggling to get her words out. Several months ago, she began experiencing migraine headaches for the first time in her life. After much effort on her part, I figured out she was telling me this was the worse headache ever. She was confused and made little sense. I gasp when I took her blood pressure; it was 198/120. Then she started having chest pains. You can only imagine what was going through my mind. Was my wife of almost 48 years having a stroke, a heart attack? As I rushed her to the hospital, far more pronounced than my concerns, the Holy Spirit quietly whispered over and over, “It is only a shadow”. The doctor performed numerous tests, but the results confounded him because everything came back normal. I continued hearing, “It’s only a shadow”. After more test and an overnight in the hospital, they concluded that her family doctor had changed her BP medicine to something that wasn’t working. With a new prescription, I brought her home. Today, she is tired but resting in her chair watching a movie without a headache.
The devil had cast a frightening shadow. But God’s Word helped us through. Note two lessons David gives us in this verse. He wrote valley of the shadow of death not the valley of death. The next verse lets us know it wasn’t the end of the journey. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows (Psa 23:5). Second assurance, he wrote through the valley. Through means there is a place to enter and a place to exit. It is a valley not a dead-end canyon. “Sheep go through these places to get to some better place” (Philip Keller)! Shadows have no substance and are nothing more than inanimate images. Charles Spurgeon said, “But [a] shadow cannot harm us any more than a dog’s shadow can bite, or the shadow of a sword can wound.”
The devil is a shadow artist making the biggest and scariest shadows he can and the entire time shouting, “He’s left you and you are all alone. You’ll never get out of this place.” The Word tell us even in the deepest and darkest valley we are never alone. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5). If I go down to the grave, you are there (Ps 139:8). Jesus has not only been through the valley of the shadow of death, He has been through the valley of death and came out alive forever.
Sustaining Word for the Week: Are you in a dark valley, it is only a shadow. He’s leading you to a better place. Even if you are facing physical death, He’s been through that valley; He is with you and knows the way.