Chasing Shadows                 by Forrest McMurray

            In Hebrews 10:1, while the sacrificing under the old law is being compared to the sacrifice of Christ, we are told that “the law has but a shadow of the good things to come”.  The book of Hebrews tells us the many different ways that the new law and new covenant are superior to the old shadow. 
            While looking out my window over the snow covered landscape it occurs to me that we live in a world that is just a shadow.  The beauty of this world is only an imperfect shadow of the true beauty that Christians will gaze upon in the next life.  The feelings of pleasure, joy, happiness, and love that we experience in this life are but a dark shadow of what these emotions will be in their truest form in our heavenly home. The greatest of physical blessings in this world will not even be worth a moments thought when we are experiencing the blessings of heaven.  No matter how healthy and strong our bodies are while on this earth they are just a blurry likeness of the body we will receive that is impervious to death and decay.
            The sad thing is many people devote their life to the shadows of this world. They believe that the shadow is the real thing.  Some treat nature like their god. Some dedicate their lives to physical pleasure.  Some are obsessed with their physical appearance.  Many believe happiness, love and comfort come from their earthly relationships or material things.  But a shadow, which is all this world has to offer, never seems to satisfy. For these people, the darkness of the earthly shadows they have been chasing will be replaced with the true form of darkness in the next life.
            The Christian though recognizes that true fulfillment can’t be had in a shadow.  The blessings of this world, however enjoyable they may be, should serve as motivation to obtain the real thing.