What Shadow are YOU Abiding Under?


	What Shadow are YOU Abiding Under? By Martha Lucia March 10, 2003 This is a time when we must know our God and that His Word is SURE. The shadow of death is hovering over various regions of our world. Yet as those who abide under the covering or shadow of the Almighty, we have the opportunity to bring light into the darkness and to be carriers of the Spirit of life in Jesus to those who are encompassed by death. The word shadow means different things according to what it is covering. The meanings of the word in the Hebrew are - shade, defense, hovering over, to shade as twilight or an opaque object: - begin to be dark, shadowing - to shade; a phantom, i.e. illusion, resemblance; hence a representative figure, especially an idol; - image, vain shew, shadow of death, i.e. the grave. Shadow of death The shadow of death is a place where death rules, over which this spirit projects its shadow, intercepting light and all life. But we, God’s people, have been given all things which pertain to LIFE and GODLINESS through Jesus our Lord. When rebellion, powers, principalities, rulers of the darkness, and wicked spirits in high places are allowed to reign, death rules; the shadow of death is projected over the area and the people. The deep shadows of darkness and death are brought into the light of life only by God’s light. In Luke 11:34-35 Jesus said, “The light of the body is the eye; therefore when thine eye is single (without guile or duplicity), they whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil (evil in a moral or spiritual sense, wicked, malicious, mischievous, perverseness), thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed (contemplate, give attention to) therefore that the light which is in thee is not darkness (to restrain or stop, implying ignorance or error, sin and misery, a thick cloud).” Proverbs 16:25 (Amp.) says this in yet another way: “There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it are the ways of death.” But as God promised through His word in Isaiah 60:2-3 (Amp.), “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness all peoples; but the Lord shall arise upon you, [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” It is inevitable that darkness will cover the earth and all the people BUT God’s glory will be seen as the Lord rises upon us. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Let us arise and BE the light that dispels the shadow of death, bringing glory to our Father! The following passages illustrate how the shadow of death influences a region or a person. Job 10:21-22 “Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.” These verses describe the land of deep darkness where there is no order because the shadow of death has mingled everything together in chaos and confusion. Job 24:17 “For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.” The shadow of death is familiar to the unrighteous and they are secure when they are surrounded by the darkness. As God’s people are praying, the terrorists are being uncovered from the darkness that is hiding them. Job 34:22 “There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.” The shadow of death cannot hide the workers of iniquity and evil from God. God reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with HIM (Daniel 2:22). Psalm 107:10-11 (NKJV) “Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons-- Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High.” The shadow of death and darkness was projected upon them because they rebelled against the words of the God. BUT when they cried out to the Lord, He delivered them. The psalmist continues in verses 14-16 (Amp.), “He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke apart the bonds that held them. Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord His goodness and loving-kindness, and His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron apart.” The shadow of the Almighty Praise the Lord for His mercy endures forever and thank God for Jesus, who has removed the shadow of death so that we might move under HIS protective shadow. Isaiah prophesied of the coming light saying, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2) Zacharias prophesied similar words in Luke 1:76-79 concerning his son, John the Baptist, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who site in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” The fulfillment of the words spoken by Isaiah came after John the Baptist was imprisoned and Jesus left Nazareth to dwell in Capernaum which is on the sea coast in the borders of Zebulun (dwelling) and Naphtali (my wrestling) (Matthew 4:12-17). At that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” While Jesus was in this region He called out to Peter and Andrew. Jesus had brought a great light into the region and eyes were opened, prisoners were set free to follow Him. Peter’s life would never be the same again. He enjoyed fellowship with Jesus and was filled with the Holy Spirit when the breath of God came as a mighty rushing wind on the day of Pentecost. Later in Peter’s life as he and the other apostles went about occupying the territory, many signs and wonders followed them. In Acts 5:15 the sick were brought into the street so that as Peter walked by his shadow might heal them. The works of God were demonstrated as the Holy Spirit was hovering and flowing through Peter so that the power of God over-shadowed the people rather than the shadow of death! Whatever shadow we are abiding under will be what we carry with us and will determine what is demonstrated. There are many blessings that come our way as we dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. Below are just a few. When we abide in the shadow of the Almighty we are kept from the wicked that oppress and from the deadly enemies who compass about us (Psalm 17:8). Under the shadow of His wings we shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of His house and drink of the rivers of His pleasures, for He is the fountain of life (Psalm 36:7). It is the only place of safety. “In the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.” (Psalm 57:1, Amp.) ”Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4, NKJV) This is the only place where we can dwell and be shielded from the enemy - under the shadow of the Almighty, taking refuge under His wings. (Psalm 91) Sweet delight and fruit sweet to the taste (Song of Songs 2:3) are found under His shadow. Let us rejoice knowing there is a place where we can and should dwell – live there, not just visit once in a while. HE becomes our shield and our high tower so that we can live in HIM and be safe. Last enemy to overcome is death We overcome by the blood of Jesus. Just as the Hebrew children applied the blood of the sacrificial lamb we must apply the blood of Jesus. “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Rev 12:10-12) Jesus holds the keys of death and hell, therefore these spirits have no place in us. Oh death where is thy sting, oh grave where is thy victory? We do not abide under the shadow of death, but we abide under the life giving shadow of an almighty God. The Nations of the Earth At this time there are many nations that are abiding under the shadow of darkness ruled by the powers, principalities, rulers of the darkness, and wicked spirits in high places. These are the demonic spirits that hold the nations in their death grip. In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus told His disciples what will happen to the nations when He returns. All the nations will be gathered before Him and weighed in the balance as to whether they will be sheep or goat nations. The goat nations will be cast into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Does this mean that whole nations will be judged guilty of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ? If so, then whole nations can be turned to the Lord. The battle over the soul of nations is raging at this moment in history. God is breaking open the gates of brass and the bars of iron so that the nations of the earth might know the truth and be given a choice to either serve the false gods and false prophets or turn to the ONE TRUE GOD and HIS SON JESUS. As long as the spirit of death rules, there is no choice, freedom is not an option. Jesus speaking of the end of the age says in Matthew 24:7-8: "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place; all this is but the beginning (the early pains) of the birth pangs (of the intolerable anguish).” In this same chapter there is a prophecy that must be fulfilled-- Vs. 14 – “And this good news of the Kingdom (the gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.” We seem to be in a time when Psalm 2 is being played out before our eyes. The nations are raging and scheming against the Lord because Satan knows his time is short. "Why do the nations assemble with commotion (uproar and confusion of voices), and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) an empty scheme? The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed One - The Messiah, the Christ. They say, let us break their bands (of restraint) asunder and cast their cords (of control) from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision (and in supreme contempt He mocks them). He speaks to them in His deep anger and troubles, (terrifies and confounds) them in His displeasure and fury, saying, Yet have I anointed (installed and placed) My King (firmly) on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son, this day (I declare) I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like potters’ ware." (Psalm 2:1-9) It is time to declare the decree of the Lord. Jesus has asked us to participate with Him in asking the Father for the nations as His inheritance and the ends of the earth as His possession. We are heirs and joint heirs with Christ Jesus; therefore His inheritance is also our inheritance and our possession. Deuteronomy 32:8 says, “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the Israelites.” This means that each nation has an inheritance, which they should be claiming. Jesus was told to ASK of His Father and He would give Him the nations as His inheritance. God said that through Abraham and his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. So if God has set our bounds according to the number of Israelites, then the nations that serve HIM are blessed with an inheritance. God is King of the Earth and reigns over the Nations! "For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne.” (Ps 47:7-8) Psalm 66 verses 4 and 7 are part of a prophetic word to the nations: “All the earth shall bow down to you and sing (praises) to you; they shall praise your name in song. He rules by His might forever, His eyes observe and keep watch over the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves.” In Psalm 72:11 it is written that all nations shall serve Him, and all kings will fall down before Him. There is coming a day when every knee will bow before Him and every tongue will confess that He is Lord! Psalm 67 is a promise that if we will praise God He will make His way known upon the earth and His saving health among all nations. He will judge righteously and govern the nations. Psalm 82:8 reads “Arise, O God, judge the earth! For to You belong all the nations.” Isaiah 61 gives us the very reason Jesus came and what He came to make available. Verse 6 - "But you shall be called the priests of the Lord; people will speak of you as the ministers of our God. You shall eat the wealth of the nations, and the glory (once that of your captors) shall be yours." Haggai 2:7 – “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.” God has determined that the earth will be filled, covered, with the glory of the Lord. Hallelujah, so be it. Matthew 28:19 - After Jesus arose from the dead; He appeared to the eleven disciples and gave them instructions. Go and make disciples of all the nations! Acts 17:26 – “And [He] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” God has determined the times of the nations and has made those who believe in Him, "One New Man." There is coming a day when all the people who are saved in all nations shall walk in the light of the City of God (Rev 21:24). Out of this city will flow a river of LIFE with the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:1, 2). Hallelujah! Are we that river NOW? Out of our belly shall flow rivers of living water. The Greek word for “leaves” means an offshoot, sprout of race, grow, produce, clan, tribe. The Greek word for “healing” means to wait upon menially, i.e. to adore God, or specifically to relieve of disease: cure, heal, worship; domestics:-healing, household. Jesus paid the price for every tongue, tribe and nation to become part of the household of God and to be healed to grow up into Him who is the head, even Christ. We have been given the task of preaching the gospel to every nation. But how can they hear without a preacher? Lord of the Harvest prepare us as laborers for the fields that are white unto harvest! Oh that we might be those who are the bearers of precious seed that will produce a harvest of the nations. “And the Spirit and the bride say, come, and let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17)