Calling on Heaven

“Living perpetually in the shadow of immanent catastrophe, the Jew was threatened not only physically but psychologically. Walking in the shadow of death was as perilous as dying.” N.T. Wright, Following Jesus, pp 66-68.

Years ago, Bruce told me something that his mother used to say when his dad would respond to frustration with something not going his way. Apparently, his response to a level 10 dilemma prompted a level 100 reaction. She would turn to him and ask: ‘What catastrophe has befallen our family now?’ All laughing aside it is true that over 98% of horrible things that could happen never do. Even though we have no idea if 'IT' will ever happen, we live like it did...living perpetually in the shadow of immanent catastrophe…walking in the shadow of death being as perilous as dying.

I was that mother who was the poster child for that statement when my daughter was deep in her drug use. Each morning I would awaken under the shadow of something ominous happening to her. I cannot tell you how many times I processed thoughts of her funeral. At that point in my life, I didn’t have an intimate relationship with God. Of course, I believed in Him and knew of Him, but didn’t know Him. During those 8 years of shadow walking I’m not sure if my mind ever allowed me to walk in the hope and confidence that God was always with her. My thoughts went from catastrophe to catastrophe instead of God’s comfort to peace. But when I began walking and living more deeply with Christ, I traded in my shadow of death and put on God’s garment of life…hope.

Many of us are living in the shadow of death because of fearful circumstances. We act like we are dying because a doctor told us the test said so…We act like our marriages are over when the partner is still with us…We act like our prodigals are lost forever when God has never left them. We live like we are broke when money is in the bank, forgetting that God provides. We act like we will never find love and yet we isolate ourselves. We are scared to death of everything associated with our fear, even when the threat has weakened. When we walk in the shadow of death, we might as well be dead!

I love the translation in The Message of Hebrews 2:14-15 which states: ‘By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.’ Now that is walking in the shadow of death which is not our legacy. Christ exemplified and sacrificed everything for us to take hold of courage and snuff out the shadow of darkness. We will be freed from living like a coward and responding to every mental and emotional response when we replace the questions in our mind with His promises in our hearts.

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you, life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…” De 30:19