Secrets and Shadows

UV 2240/10000 Secrets and Shadows
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty
Psalm 91 v 1

A shadow is the reflection formed by an object or person cutting off the light shining upon it. Why is the presence of the Almighty God referred to as a shadow, a mere shadow when He is the Father of lights and there is no shadow of turning in Him ? A shadow follows a person faithfully wherever he goes. Likewise, the Lord is faithful. The shadow of the Jehovah El Shaddai surrounds us more effectively than a fortress. He acts as our refuge in times of trouble. We experience the protective presence of the Lord. The mighty shadow of the Lord upon us drives away the lurking shadows of our own guilt, our own weaknesses, our animosities, our insecurities, our folly, our fear of death. There is no place or room for these things in the presence of the Lord. We no longer can do “shadow boxing” or fighting with the mere reflections of the real thing- the spirit world. The real fight is the spiritual fight, the real race is the spiritual race against time, death and decay. It is a race for the prize of eternal life. The “secret place” that the Most High God prefers in all of the universe is our hearts. If we choose to let Him dwell or fill our hearts with His presence, He will surround us on all sides. Just as a couple or lovers have secret rendezvous or times and places to meet and fellowship to renew their relationship, we too need to have secret rendezvous and times with the Lord that no one else needs to know. These secret meetings are the source of our strength, delight and joy. We experience the gracious presence of the Lord.

Living under the shadow of someone also means living under his influence. When we live under the shadow of the Lord, we are influenced by His example, His teachings, principles, His words and ways of doing things. Scripture says that we live under the shadow of His wings. The wings are word and prayer. Word and prayer should be flapping in our hearts like the wings of a dove all the time.

Under the Old Covenant, certain places were known or noted for the presence of the Lord. As Moses stepped towards the burning bush, the voice of the Lord asked him to remove his sandals as he was stepping on holy ground. But under the new covenant relationship, since the Lord Himself dwells with us and in us, His presence or shadow is accompanying us all the time, there is no place which is not holy. Moses had to veil his face after he entered the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle. Today, the secret of the tabernacle or the glorious presence of the Lord dwells in us. We have become the veritable tabernacle for the Lord, a tabernacle not made with human hands but created by God in His image. We experience the glorious presence of the Lord. We behold His glory with unveiled faces and are transformed bit by bit, degree by degree, day by day, moment by moment. We experience the continuous presence of the Lord.

Prateep V Philip