Isaiah 49:2 "In the shadow of His hand He hid me."

Sometimes the glare of a sunny summer day is too brilliant for our eyes. Instinctively we move into the shadows, lest we lose the ability to discern the delicate shades of color or to appreciate natural tints.

In the exercise of His infinite wisdom our God reminds us that it is not good for our spiritual vision to remain constantly in the sunlight of prosperity. There we are often blinded to the full measure of life, losing both our understanding of divine mercy and the need to have sympathy for others. God's grace is often best viewed in the shadowed house of mourning, the shadowed life from which the sunlight of earthly joy is gone.

It is God who leads us into the shadow. But it is "the shadow of His hand." There are lessons He teaches us there. The light of His loving and glorious face is clearly seen in the dark chamber. In life's shadows we grow in Him. There are beautiful flowers that bloom in the shade -- flowers that could not grow in the sun. In the shadows of life the Savior reaches us best with the glory of His forgiving love. There He says: "I have redeemed you; you are Mine."

PRAYER: Lord, let us dwell in the shadow of your grace so that we may see Your glory. Amen.

(Taken from "Words of Promise," copyright 1996, Concordia Publishing House (out of print). For information on other devotional materials, call 1-800 325-3040.)

Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 33-35    Matthew 20:17-34

To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"