If you have ever read Pilgrim’s’ Progress you will remember the time when Christian is walking up to the big house and he has been told to stay straight on the path. It is in the middle of the night and he could hear the lions guarding the walkway. Afraid, he continued to walk till he reached the door and knocked on it. He was greeted by a welcoming family and the next day they walk him outside to show him that the lions could not reach him, because they were chained up. Christian could not see that because it was so dark when he arrived.
I was reminded of this story one day when I was out walking. I was going over concerns that I had in my head that had not even happened yet. As I was working myself up into a frenzy, it was as if God said, “You are jumping at shadows.” It was at this point I remembered the part of Pilgrim’s Progress that I mentioned above.
There are things in all of our lives that we perceive to be issues, and once we are through them, we realize that they were only shadows. Had Christian in the story above come in daylight he would have seen that the lions were nothing to be afraid of, and if we could only see our scary moments in the light of Christ, we would realize that we need not be afraid either.
So the next time you find yourself “jumping at shadows” in life, pause for a moment and ask God to help you decipher what it real and what is simply a shadow trying to scare you off course.
To help, I would encourage you to read Philippians 4:8 “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” I find this to be a very helpful list to work through my own thoughts. First, is the thought true? If not, throw it out. Second, is it noble, just, or pure? No? Throw it away. Is it lovely or good, etc.? Deal with your thoughts according to this checklist and I believe you will cast Christ’s light onto these shadows and have peace.
One of the Hagelbooks Authors, Abigail Hagel Smith is having her book release party on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at The Art Town Maker’s Gallery from 11:00 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. There will be snacks and you can either purchase books there or pre order your books through Amazon and bring them to be signed! we hope to see you there! 105 E. Bridge St., Wetumpka, AL 36092.
Hagelbooks is excited to announce a new book coming soon: For the Love Behind Him is written by Abigail Hagel Smith. It is a safe love story for all ages with struggles that we all relate to. More information will be posted on http://www.hagelbooks.com soon!