"And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." (Isaiah 32:2)
Shadow is a symbol rich in spiritual lessons. We may first have met it as such in the book of Psalms. Its message in the twenty-third Psalm uses a shadow's thinness to tell us even death can't hide the comforting presence of God. Shadow gains more substance—if we can use these words together—in the ninety-first Psalm: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Ps. 91:1. Now shadow is a haven, a place of safety and protection.
Many people learn these psalms early and have their messages up front in memory, sure helps in frightening times. As the shadow symbol moves from representing death's thinness to being the very substance of protection, God is recognized as the mighty All-power in whose care one cannot know fear.
