Shadows

"The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1)

Spurgeon's thoughts: "Not every worshiper will be thus privileged but those who dwell there, as Simeon and Anna dwelt in the temple. So there are some that abide in Christ, and his words abide in them. They live near God. They receive, therefore, choicer favors than those who only come and go. He who has learned to stand in the holy of holies, near the blood-sprinkled mercy seat, to whom prayer is a matter of constant privilege and enjoyment - he dwells in the 'secret place' (KJV). Such a man, living near to God, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

"When you walk with a friend in certain positions of the sun, your friend's shadow falls on you, but you cannot expect to have the shadow of your friend unless you are near him. We read in the Song of Solomon, 'I delight to sit in his shade' (2:3). There must be nearness to get under the shadow. So there must be great access to God - great familiarity with him."

Candy's thoughts: The word "shadow" seems to have a somewhat negative connotation these days. Here is the dictionary definition: "A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface. Also used in reference to proximity, ominous oppressiveness, or sadness and gloom."

I certainly think the Psalmist is referring more to Definition #1 than Definition #2. There is something to the concept of "a body coming between rays of light and a surface." Think of the Father as the "rays of light" and Jesus on the cross as the "body coming between" God and his people; this is the way he gives them the joy of abiding with the Almighty forever.

Why would we ever keep ourselves from the "choicer favors" that Spurgeon refers to, or keep our distance from the one who has drawn so near to us through the death of his son? May God increase our familiarity with him, and may we look forward with eagerness toward the coming of the perfect day of light when "shadows" will "flee" forever (Song of Solomon 4:6).

Praying For Our Friends

"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and right way. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. (1 Sam. 12: 23-24)

Prayer by Scotty Smith found in Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith

"Lord Jesus, there's a lot more to friendship than praying for my friends, but I haven't really been a good friend unless I've prayed and continue to pray for them.

"The fact that you call me friend is overwhelming. And knowing that you are always praying for me is all the motivation I need to repent of my prayerlessness. Indeed, how can I enjoy such a rich standing in grace and not 'stand in the gap' for my friends?

"For my friends with broken hearts, Jesus, I pray for the reach and touch of your tear-wiping hand. Spare them from those of us who would 'heal their wounds lightly' (Jer. 6:14), not taking their pain seriously enough. Heal them in such a fashion that will leave them merciful toward others, not merely pain free.

"For my friends with angry hearts, Jesus, I pray you will dialogue with them the way you entered Jonah's rage. 'Do you have a right to be angry?' you asked the conflicted prophet. I'm not saying you will simply make my angry friends sweet. Help them see the sadness behind the mad, the pettiness in the petulance, and the real hurt being mishandled in more hurtful ways.

"For my friends with fearful hearts, Jesus, I pray you will bring your centering, calming presence to bear. To be fearful is one thing, but to be fearful and alone is almost unbearable. Place your hand upon them in the gospel, the way you touched the apostle John. Speak deep into their hearts, 'Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living one.'  (Rev. 1: 17-18)

"For my friends with deceived hearts, Jesus, we're prone to wander and you're prone to come after us. For my friends with hearts en route to being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, for those under Satanic spells, for those who are simply selfish, stubborn, and stupid - Jesus, rescue them before they bring any more harm to themselves and others, I pray.

"Jesus, help all of us - starting with me - constantly remember what great things you have done for us, so that we might fear you with affectionate reverence and serve you faithfully with all our hearts. I pray in your grace-full name. Amen."

Candy's thoughts: I read the Bible every year but yet never noticed the fact that Samuel the Prophet considered it 'sinning against the Lord' to NOT pray for the people of Israel. I would have thought neglecting such a duty (and delight) was 'thoughtless,' or even 'shameful' if I promised a friend to pray, but then forgot to do so. This realization will hopefully propel me (us?) to intercede for friends more intentionally. Do I hear an Amen?

The Mother Who Would Not Stop Praying

An article was posted on May 12th on the Gospel Coalition website entitled "The One Thing I Tell Moms of Wayward Children." As you might guess, the column is about prodigals and the great angst that parents experience seeing their young adult children wander from the faith that was taught them for years. What can be done? The author very much encourages parents, grandparents, siblings, and anyone else who is in this situation to storm the gates of heaven in prayer for the conversion of a loved one.

Austin Gohn primarily uses the example of the mother of Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) to illustrate his point. For nearly 30 years she prayed and cried so much for her son's salvation that her prayers were "as rivers she addressed to you daily for my sake, irrigating the ground under her face." (Augustine's description of his persistent mother in Confessions 5.15)  That's a lot of tears.

There are many other beautiful quotes that I could point out, but then again it's always better to see them in context. Please read the article here:  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/moms-wayward-children/  and be encouraged to continue in your prayers for all who have wandered from our merciful savior.

Ouch!

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."  (Phil. 2:14-15)

Megan Hill's thoughts: "Complaining is a universal currency in our world. Almost without fail, it provides a point of connection in even the most casual interactions. Paying at the grocery store? Just grumble about how cold (or hot) the weather has been recently, and you and the checkout clerk will quickly form an alliance. Late to a party? Mutter about the traffic, and every guest in earshot will have their own gridlock lament to contribute. There is seemingly nothing that we won't complain about, and seemingly no one who won't join us when we do.

But belonging to Christ radically changes everything. Jesus said, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16); and, when we refuse to join the office pity-party, we publicly exalt Christ in at least three ways:

1. We testify that God is good. Most of us would tell our neighbors that God is good. But our dissatisfied grumblings are a jarring contradiction to what we say we believe.

2. We testify to an unshakeable hope. When Job's wife encourages him to curse God for the trials in his life, Job replies, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10).  By his sinless response, Job testifies that he has faith in God's eternal purposes, whether his outward circumstances appear rosy or grim.

3. We testify to a deeper reality. If our conversations with unbelievers are taken up by the minutiae of life's inconveniences, we act like this world is all that matters. Instead, we ought to take every opportunity to point to deeper - and more lasting! - spiritual realities.

Candy's thoughts: Ouch! For as long as I've been a Christian, I have heard the warnings about complaining and grumbling. And for as long as I've been a Christian, I have complained and grumbled. What's with that? Why can't we all get better at this? Perhaps we should pray daily as we do on Sundays:

"We have loved what we ought not to have loved; we have coveted what is not ours; we have not been content with Your provisions for us. We have complained in our hearts about our family, about our friends, about our health, about our occupations, about Your church, and about our trials. We have sought our security in those things which perish, rather than in You, the Everlasting God."