Taking Every Thought Captive

This story that follows is written by Shepherd Press representative Richard Riggall.  This story is a powerful example of a Christian being aware of God in everyday life. Instead of routinely going through motions of another landing, Rick used this opportunity to think first of God and his ways. As this story illustrates, our lives are always in God's hands.

My head pressed against the window as the plane banked to line up for the runway, just last month on my way to Together for the Gospel. As the plane leveled out for its final descent, our shadow slid into view, straight below, just off to the side. The shadow rustled over the tree tops, across a freshly plowed field, through rolling fields waiting for the plow, growing ever larger, darker and more clearly defined. Crossing a small lake we extinguish the sparkle of the morning sun, emerging on the far shore without shedding a drop; I am mesmerized by my shadow. I can see that my shadow is about to intersect a major highway, busy with the morning traffic. Will we...? Yes; my shadow flits fully over a speeding pickup truck. Did the instant of sudden shadow cause the driver to think of the brevity of life? Do other people suddenly think about the brevity of life? Is it only me? My shadow enters a new, expensive looking neighborhood; clean gray roofs sit atop large rambling houses with multi-car garages on rich green lawns on gently winding streets and tidy cul-de-sacs. There are no cars parked on the drives, or laundry flapping in the breeze or children playing in the yard. On through neighborhoods, shopping areas, industrial parks, congested roads, railroad yards, vacant lots, my shadow growing ever larger. The silent journey of my growing shadow seems to become ever faster even as the dimly perceived rumble of the plane around me tells me that in reality we are slowing down. Our landing is imminent. I meet my shadow as the wheels skid on the runway, and I think; "These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Col 2:17)

Why do we so easily become more mesmerized by the shadow than the reality which is in Christ?

May God grant to all of us to make real "the reality which is in Christ".