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Listen while you read: "Beneath The Cross Of Jesus"1 (Lyrics) |
Psalm 121:5-6 – The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. (KJV)
Some of my favourite devotionals are written by missionaries who share testimonies of people from all over the world. One message, in particular, stands out in my mind: the story of an individual from South Africa who has Downs syndrome. His uncle describes him as childlike, simple, and full of faith. And when he prays, others can sense that he is close to God.
One day, the young man's uncle asked him, "How do you picture God?" "As a shade," he replied. "Look! There He is!" Then, with excitement, he stood up and began to run around, all the while pointing to a figure that was his own shadow.
But even as shade reminds us of God's presence, to the Bible writers who lived in the Middle East where heat from the sun is extreme, shade was literally a matter of protection as well. This idea brings to mind the following words from one of our beloved church hymns by Elizabeth C. Clephane:
- Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.
What wonderful illustrations of today's Scripture! Even as shadows are produced by the sun, God is visible to us when we walk in the light. Moreover, we can rest under the shadow of His wings where we will find shelter and safety.
Prayer: Lord, we thank You for the shade of Your protection. Guide us always to walk in the light of Your truth as we enjoy the blessings of Your holy presence. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.
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Thursday, September 21, 2023 – Worldwide — International Day of Prayer for Peace — Pray for our brothers and sisters in so many countries in the world where they are being persecuted, imprisoned, and killed for their faith. Pray that their faith will stand strong in the face of adversity.
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Mrs--a former devotional writer: "September 21,2023. I humbly request healing prayers, I am having some very serious health problems..." 
A dear old song. Thanks Lori for the encouragement.
Thank you for writing this beautiful devotional of hope.
What a lovely picture – God close enough to be my shadow.
The visual image offered in this devotional is awe inspiring! Thank you.
Thank you Lori for sharing this sensitive devotional. You blessed my day. Blessings.
Thank you so much for these words and the reference to the beautiful hymn. I am greatly comforted Lori. Blessings.
Thank you for your faithfulness Lori.
Bless you.
Dear Lori:
Thank you for you wonderful words. I hope Lou is doing well. God bless you both.
Lori, I really enjoyed your devotional today concerning the Downs Syndrome fellow. He saw what most people would simply take for granted. He saw God in his shadow. WOW!! Great devotional. Thanks.
Lori – What a wonderful story and picture of Christ’s shadow through visualizing the cross. The cross is such a special symbol to me and the young boy could not have Jesus closer to him than his shadow. Thank you for this meaningful devotional.
Hello.
Well written, plus a song worth while indeed!
(USA)
Wonderful, Lori!. Thanks for that soothing message. As a person born & bred in the sizzling Middle East, I can readily visualize the relief from the burning Sun provided by the shade. God is our shade indeed!
Blessings.
Dear Lori,
Thank you for the beautiful devotional of our Lord’s protection and care.
“The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land.” I went with a Christian group on a tour of Israel a number of years ago. We were there in late fall when the weather there was just right to enjoy the sunshine as we experienced so many existing sites and scenes of both Old Testament and New Testament history, very well preserved.
If we had been in Israel, during July and August, we would have needed “the shadow….” to shield us from the blazing sun. Yet it was quite dry when we toured. We experienced only a wee bit of rain one day.
And we always rely on the protection of our Lord’s protective Shadow in any kind of weather.
Our group devotions each day were linked to the places we visited. For instance, we rode in a boat on glassy-smooth water in Lake Galilee — contrary to experiencing a sudden storm like Jesus calmed — but we were informed that, from the surrounding hills, sudden storms could zoom down and create high waves.
Keep writing, Lori.