When we step out into the sun our body casts a shadow. When we walk in the light of the Son we cast a shadow a different shadow, we reflect His glory. To see how this works the presentation of some scriptures is in order.
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1 (NKJV)
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:5–7 (NKJV)
Psalm 91 informs us that we need to abide, 2 Corinthians that we need to behold and 1 John that we need to walk in the light. I believe these are different aspects of the same reality. When we choose to engage with Him and enter into and remain dwelling with Him we experience His abiding presence over our lives. Coming into this secret place creates the opportunity to behold His glory. The result of abiding with and gazing upon Jesus is that we walk in the light. Interestingly, John says that one of the by-products of walking in the light is that we have ‘fellowship with one another.’
In that vein, I have met people who I just ‘knew’ were a fellow believer and I have had conversations with others who detail the same experience. They meet someone who they sense is a fellow believer and it is confirmed in conversation. It happened to me this winter while on vacation. I met a fellow that I had met the previous summer a couple of times while in the mountains. We had only spoken for a few minutes but I sensed the Lord’s presence in him. When we met again this winter my sense was confirmed and we experienced genuine fellowship.
Understanding this experience comes when we examine a verse of scripture in Romans 8.
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:16 (NKJV)
If His Spirit is in me and in you then I should be able to sense His presence in you as the Spirit is bearing witness, bringing that awareness to me. Which takes us back to abiding, beholding and walking in the light. Nothing in scripture or experience has ever led me to conclude that spiritual growth is automatic. Pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus is a choice. Let’s make that choice so that we live under His shadow and reflect His glory.
