SHADOW BOXING
Valerie Rae Hanneman
July 23, 2004
Psalm 23:4 “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” (KJV)
One of the most exciting and daring things I have ever done was when I took my son, Steven, and drove across the country to South Carolina to get my daughter, Fawn, and bring her home. We had a blast and I learned some important life lessons like: NEVER let the excitement of being on Bourbon Street in New Orleans convince you that it is okay to eat a Louisiana Hot Link sausage po’ boy with hot pepper jack cheese and extra grilled onions on the day before you drive to Dallas, Texas. It is a long - long drive.
I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to see all of the natural diversity this great country has. I drove through the emptiness of the high mountain deserts and the lush green of the New Orleans bayous. There is one stretch of road I remember well. I don’t know who planned the landscaping of this road - but they failed to take into account the comfort of southbound drivers in the early morning. They planted these tall skinny trees just far enough apart to make you feel like you were driving through a picket fence of sunlight and shadows. It was irritating as I drove through them. After the third time of mentioning to Steven how irritating the light-shadow-light-shadow pattern was to drive through - and questioning the basic foresight of the landscaper, Steven said to me, “Mom, put your sun-visor over there and block it out.” Bless my son for his common sense - I was so busy focusing on the irritation that I was ignoring the solution.
I have been through a lot of shadows in my life. I have stood in the shadow of the Sears tower in Chicago. That building casts a long shadow! I have stood in the shadows of clouds as they passed overhead. Once I had a shadow of an airplane go over where I was standing - and I remember looking up and seeing it so high in the sky. I have even had shadows frighten me. I remember freaking out as a child seeing the shadow of a man standing outside my window - but when I got my courage up to peek out the window - it was just a tree than my overly active imagination had turned into something more menacing. The one thing that a shadow has never done is harm me. I have never been hurt by passing through a shadow.
That is what I love about the promise of this verse. It promises that for me and for all believers we will simply pass through the valley of the shadow of death. We will never pass through death itself - we will simply pass though it’s shadow. Oh, I know that in human terms we will experience what is called death - but that is because most of humanity does not understand the true picture of death. They think that when the physical body ceases to live - that that is death. But it isn’t. True death is when the soul ceases to live. Should the LORD tarry (even so, come LORD Jesus!) and I come to the end of my earthly life - I will pass through the valley of the shadow of death - but death itself will not touch me. The Word of God promises in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD. When my physical body ceases to live I will instantly be in the presence of Jesus and passing through the valley of the shadow of death will be nothing more than a minor irritation.
Sometimes - even as believers - we get focused on the irritation (or worry) about the shadow of death - and we forget that it doesn’t have to effect us unless we let it. The time that I was driving in the picket fence of light and shadow I was so focused on the irritation of it that I ignored the solution to the problem. And the solution was simple - and yet - I could not see it because I was so mis-focused. We have a solution - a visor - to block out the irritation of passing through the shadow of death. His name is Jesus and He is eternal life. The key is to keep our focus on Him and not on the irritation caused by a mere shadow. And there is an added bonus of focusing on Jesus and the eternal life we have in Him. When we are focused on our eternal life - not only is the shadow of death an irritation to be ignored - but the big problems of this life suddenly shrink - when considered from the perspective of eternity.
The sad news is that although a shadow is harmless - an irritation at best - there is something very real that is casting that shadow. When I was driving my car through the shadows of the trees at 70 miles per hour - I was irritated - but not harmed. However - had I decided to drive through the real trees at 70 miles per hour - irritation would have been the last of my troubles. I could have jumped off the shadow of the Sears building into the sunlight and been just fine. But had I chose to jump off the real Sears building I would not have been so fine.
The valley of the shadow of death exists because death is real. Although believers will pass harmlessly through the shadow of death and into eternal life - nonbelievers will face death’s reality. And the reality of death is that once it takes a nonbeliever - it will never let them go. Eternal life is found only in a personal relationship with Jesus. Eternal death is for those who reject that relationship.
If your future includes passing through the valley of the shadow of death - don’t worry about it - it is just an irritation. Focus instead on the Giver of Eternal Life. Jesus will take us though the valley and we will fear no evil from the shadows.
If your future includes the reality of eternal death - it’s not to late! Death was never intended for you. You were created to be in a personal relationship with Jesus - you were created for eternal life. If you are not in that personal relationship I urge you to call either Fresno First Baptist Church at (559) BAP-TIST (ask to speak to one of the pastors) or the Billy Graham Evangelical phone line of 1 (800) need-Him or contact me at valerie@fresnofirst.org. Don’t put this important call off until tomorrow. Tomorrow may never come - and death is not only real - it is forever.
Father God, I lift before You all those who will read this devotional. I pray that You will stir the souls of any who are not in a personal relationship with You. Speak to them of their need for You, urge them to not put off this eternal decision until tomorrow. Father, put someone in their path who will be able to guide them to You. For those of us who have a secure relationship with You, help us to keep our focus on You - and not on an irritating shadow that cannot harm us.
Contact Valerie at valerie@fresnofirst.org
Posted by Valerie at July 23, 2004 07:38 PM