“I stand between the years. The Light of My Presence is flung across the year to come – the radiance of the Son of Righteousness. Backward, over the past year, is My Shadow thrown, hiding trouble and sorrow and disappointment.” *

These words from my devotional-reading this morning surged through me as I walked Blue up our mountain road. The sun sat high in the sky, a brilliant globe against the periwinkle of the winter sky. We walked into the sun, casting long shadows behind us. The air felt clear and crisp. Still. New.

When the Lord bubbled these words up from my memory of the morning, I stopped. Blue turned and looked at me. Our eyes met, his mahogany eyes glistening with the reflection of the sun. Straight ahead the path was clear. Behind us our shadows clung to our heels, their somber darkness draping over stones and dried, parched meadow grass we had already passed.

Oh my goodness! Enveloped in the memory of those powerful words, I could see it. The Lord – His Word – JESUS is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. His Presence goes with us lighting our path for the days and moments ahead, AND because He is with us, the very radiance of His presence casts a shadow that covers the pain and struggles we have passed through. The Shadow of His Presence distills the power of the pain, consumes it as an offering from His child. The darkness of His Shadow permeates and conquers the darkness that evil intended against us.

I leaned over and gave Blue a hug. Taking one more peek at the shadows behind, we continued walking into the sun, our path illuminated by the Light of His Presence – the stones, the parched and broken places draped in the beauty of His Shadow.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; 
Whom shall I fear? 
The Lord is the strength of my life; 
Of whom shall I be afraid?” 
~ Psalm 27:1

*God Calling by A.J. Russell 

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 Tweetables to Encourage Others

The Shadow of His Presence distills the power of the pain, consumes it as an offering from His child. (Click to Tweet)

The parched & broken places of my life are draped in the beauty of His Shadow. (Click to Tweet)

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