SHADOW'S OF LIFE! 3/14/10

As a kid I remember listening to the radio and being mesmerized by "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of man; the Shadow does!" In the days of radio we had great visual ability, more than we do today because the movies have brought it alive and instead of visualizing through words we can see the shadow moving about more clearly. We know what we see!

I remember walking home in the early evening when the sun was low in the sky and watching my shadow walking either before me and sometimes beside me. Sometimes I even tried to step on it. Have you ever done that? These kinds of shadows are figures of objects when it intercepts the light. However it is sometimes something that has no substance like in dreams, which are shadows of our sub conscience. We also use the term shadow when someone follows us around; a trace of something and even slight noticed movements, we call shadows in the darkness.

"Even though I walk in the valley of shadow of death; I will fear no evil for God is with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Psalms 23:4 A comforting thought; a tried and true scripture often read at memorial services. I heard a preacher say that the 23rd Psalm is a happy passage. It is read at memorial services to cheer up those who are left behind.

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. he said to the woman; "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent; "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but God said; 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die'." But the serpent said to the woman; "You will not die." Genesis 3:1-3

Because we know the rest of the story; because we have seen our family and friends die we realize, we are all walking in the shadow of death! Eve succumbed to the temptation and ate; she gave it to Adam and he also ate. It is so easy to give into temptations isn't it! We can blame Adam and Eve all we want, but it is still our choice today, to sin.

We walk about in the shadows of sin; we peek around the corners to see if there are any shadows watching us and then we think we are safe enough and then we sin. The shadow of death! Sin is death! "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 This scripture gives us the Holy Spirit; the one who will encourage us not to sin. "For God so loved the world; that He gave His only begotton Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Going off to war doesn't place us any closer to the shadow of death; being a driver in the Indianapolis 500 doesn't place us any closer to the shadow of death; climbing Mount Everest doesn't place us any closer to the shadow of death. What places us closer to the shadow of death is life; especially a life of sin. With Christ as our Savior we face dying but we have already died to sin and the death we face is going to heaven. Billy Sunday, an old time preacher, was heard to say when threatened at gun point, to stop preaching; "Let me get this straight, you are threatening me with heaven?" Paul says; "For me to die is gain!"

Our Easter day is coming. Morning Glory is touching on what this means to us as Christians. Death; burial; resurrection! How do you look at this? Is it mostly pretty clothes, candy, big dinner or is it reflecting upon the GRACE OF GOD? I believe that Grace is God's son! It is through God's son that the bridge to God was given! The cross was the bridge Christ hung upon. God's Grace once and for all! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 3/9/10