“Mommy, my shadow follows me everywhere I go!” my younger daughter exclaimed on making this amazing discovery.

“That’s because it belongs to you, and you alone,” I answered.

Have you ever thought about that?  You have a shadow that belongs exclusively to you.  When a light is shining from somewhere, your shadow falls on something–the ground, a wall, a stairway…or maybe a child.

If you stand perfectly still, your shadow does too.  If you move, the shadow moves.  If the light moves, the shadow also moves.  And if there are two lights behind you, then you have two shadows.

After the Apostle Peter healed a lame man through the power of Jesus Christ, the people in Jerusalem were greatly impressed.  The Bible says, “Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.  As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by” (Acts 5:14-15).

Since Peter was living and witnessing in the power of the Lord, he was thought to cast a beneficial, healing shadow.  Whether this was true or not, the Bible doesn’t say.  But it certainly is true that the shadow our lives cast on others affects them.

In some cases one’s shadow might fall on someone who is trying to read, and thus keep him from seeing.  In order for him to see, that person has to move and let the light flood in.

So it may be that the shadow of a professing Christian’s life is keeping people from seeing the light concerning salvation or living for Christ.  They may be blinded to the wonderful truths of God by the dark shadow that person casts.  How important then is it that we who are parents, church leaders, and among those who teach children and young people God’s Holy Word move the “I” part of ourselves out of the way so that all those who know us or are under our influence may see the light of Jesus Christ shine in and through us and all we do and say!

When we reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ, then His Spirit can fill us and His love can shine forth in various ways to others, in kindness, compassion and sensitivity.  I can remember a Sunday School teacher who made that impression on me; she was a light to me and my young life.

My mother used to say about my younger brother, “I have a little shadow; it goes everywhere with me.”  Even so, at our church and in our families and neighborhoods we have young “shadows” who look up to us for an example, who may follow our way of life if it is a good one.

We are all just sojourners in this world; yet on the basis of our short earthly lives is decided the rewards we will enjoy for eternity, based in part on the shadows we cast.

Questions: How is your shadow affecting the lives of others around you? Is your shadow keeping someone from seeing the Light?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, My Message is About Him, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

The problem, though, for most of us is that we get diverted by more worldly things and lose sight of the presence of God in our lives. I recently went to a website to look up some information. When I pressed a certain icon, a dialogue box popped up to tell me I was being “redirected” to another website.

I thought about the spiritual application of that and realized that when the matters of the world cloud my spiritual vision, I need to redirect my thoughts to focus on what God is telling me in each situation I face in life. For example:

• When I feel all alone, I should redirect myself to Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

• When I am fearful, I should redirect myself to Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”

• When I feel weak, I should redirect myself to Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

• When I am torn between following the ways of the world of the ways of the Lord, I should redirect myself to Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

• When I feel lost, I should redirect myself to Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For, everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

• When I feel inadequate in knowing God’s will for my life, I need to redirect myself to Psalm 86:11 “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart.”

• When I am tempted by the world, I should redirect myself to 1 Peter 5:8 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Father God, Your Holy Word is truly the roadmap for life. Throughout the days ahead please help me to make a conscious effort, in every situation, to redirect myself to Your Word and find the strength and power to walk as You would walk. Amen.

Questions: Do you find yourself in a situation where you just don’t know what to do next?  Are you getting side tracked away from God’s Word?

About the Author John Grant