Good Morning—Night Is Over

I sat at my computer quite early in the morning, pondering the meaning of Psalm 107 and the beginning of Book Five of the Psalter, when all of a sudden a quiet rain began to fall on the deck outside the sliding glass doors of my study. What a happy sound. We could always use a soft, soaking rain, I thought. Even the birds outside acknowledged it as they begin their morning songs.

As I listened to the gentle rain falling in the darkness it struck me how different some rains are from others. It wasn't that long ago that Sylvia and I huddled on the floor, in the hallway of our Houston area home while terrifying winds and rain pounded our house in the deep shadows of Hurricane Rita. We feared for our lives and prayed for the shadows to pass.

Different shadows, different darkness, different times. So the Biblical writers will at times speak of the sheltering shadows of the LORD's wings or of his hand (Ps. 17:8, Ps. 51:1, Ps. 63:7, Ps. 91:1, Isa. 49:2, Isa. 51:16). Thus protected, nothing can harm them. But at other times they tremble, because they are prisoners in a land of darkness, forced to dwell in the shadow of death (Ps. 107:10-14).

The comforting lesson of Psalm 107 is that when our very soul is fainting, trapped by pain, affliction, fear and the dark shadows of impending death, we have but to cry out, return to Him who so deeply loves us that He went before us into that dark valley of the shadow of death (Ps. 23:4). As Zechariah said, the sun is about to rise and final salvation awaits (Luke 1:78-79). Death is but a shadow, no longer a certainty at all. We shall not be cut off from our God and from His people. Because of the cross and the sacrifice of Calvary, we are forgiven, once more declared His children, sheltered in the shadow of His wings, protected by the shadow of His hand.

The sun rose, even as I completed this little piece. The rain was very brief. A bright, radiant springtime day awaited me. Once more I was reminded by the springtime that days of darkness, fear and death will soon be over—forever. The dawn has come. The shining Light is dispersing the shadows. Jesus is that Light of the world and the darkness cannot put it out (John 1:5, 8:12). Alleluia!