It's Just a Stinkin' Shadow!!

So I recently bought Rebecca St. James' newest cd. The second track on it is her rendition of Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go". I have heard this song a bunch of times, even sang it. For some reason her version triggered an ah-ha moment.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back, I know You are near

It's like being back in school dissecting sentences.

'Even though'... Despite it all, I will!

'walk through'... you are going through... not staying there.

'the valley'... Valley: A low area of land between hills or mountains, typically with a river or stream flowing through it. So it's an area between two points. For some reason this image popped in to my head. This life here on earth is like that valley. When we are Christians we are between two points. The first one being when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The second one being when this physical life ends and we go to Heaven.

'shadow of death'... IT'S JUST A SHADOW!! The enemy can only throw a shadow of death over us. Yes, he can take our physical life, but not our eternal life.

'Your perfect love is casting out fear'... Go God!!!

'And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life I won’t turn back, I know You are near'... Isn't that pretty profound too?? It's not if I'm caught in the middle of the storms, it's when. BUT I won't turn back. Not I might not turn back. Why? Because I know You are near. Not, I think You might be near if I'm lucky.

This was just really good for me as I'm looking towards what my call to full time missions looks like. At in all of this I admit there is fear. But God is good and patient and is slowly revealing His plan to me. Giving me ah-ha moments perfectly spaced so I have time to pray and meditate on them. This helps solidify it all in my mind.

Another one of those ah-ha moments was tonight at Bible Study. But that's another story for another time. I still haven't had enough me and God time on this one yet :-)

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For those of you who don't know the song, here are all of the lyrics.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back
I know you are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/matt_redman/you_never_let_go.html ]
(Chorus:)
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth

(Chorus)

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

(Chorus 2x's)

I could go through the whole thing line by line. It's amazing. I love it when artists take Scripture and turn it in to songs. So Psalm 23 has definitely been brought in to a new light for me. It's definitely getting it from knowing it intellectually into really knowing it deep within myself. Now to live in it and act in that knowledge. Stepping in to the shadow....