Lutheran Daily Devotional 19th June 2023: In the Shadow

Lutheran Daily Devotional 19th June 2023, Monday

Lutheran Daily Devotional 19th June 2023 Monday Message. As you study today’s devotional, remember this; “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)

TOPIC: In the Shadow

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Psalm 91:1-2 – He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of th

“Hide and Seek” is an entertaining game for children, but when we are worried or frightened, it is hard to find a safe place to hide. Troubles and worries find us, no matter where we go. In earlier centuries, people built strong, solid fortresses out of stone. The fortress was a shelter, a refuge, to which local people could run when an enemy force threatened them. It was a safe place to hide, but even there, fear followed them.

The psalmist rejoices in a different kind of refuge, a fortress built from a shadow. Shadows are not very substantial things. When the sunlight disappears, the shadows vanish, too. But this is the shadow of the Almighty, the shadow of God. God is a spirit and dwells in “unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16b). Does He even cast a shadow? To live in the shadow of God is to trust in Christ alone for salvation, to draw near to the Lord in His Word, and to bring worries and fears to Him in prayer. The shadow of God is stronger than any stone fortress. Stone may eventually crumble into dust, but the shadow of God remains forever.

We did not have to search for this hiding place. The shadow of the Almighty reached out to cover us. God Himself, in the Person of His Son, cast a shadow as He walked on this earth during His earthly ministry. He knew the troubling shadows of sorrow that we know. On Good Friday, the sun’s light failed as Jesus suffered and died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world. No earthly shadows would have been cast in the darkness of that day, but God’s shadow was still present, a divine shadow of grace and power that swallowed up sin and death. Our fortress is a very narrow shadow, no wider than a cross, but it is a long shadow that once stretched to fill an empty tomb and now reaches out to shelter us with forgiveness and love.

To live in the shadow of the Almighty is to trust in Him, to find safety and hope in His presence and to seek the comfort and encouragement of His Word. A stone refuge is a sturdy place, and we might feel safe there, at least for a little while, but a stone fortress cannot move or follow us. The shadow of the Almighty is a refuge that moves. His shadow covers us wherever we are and wherever we go. It is the shadow in which we live, a shadow that rests over us day and night and shelters us in every time of trial.

WE PRAY: Lord, You are my shadow of refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.

Reflection Questions:

1. Where did you build forts as a kid? Who were you trying to keep safe from?

2. If even God’s shadow can be a fortress to us, what does that say about His ability to protect us?

3. How does the cross of Christ shield us from Satan?

Today’s Bible Readings: Proverbs 25-26 Acts 4:23-37

God bless you for reading Lutheran Daily Devotional 19th June 2023 Message. Encourage someone today by sharing this Gospel.

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