「祂...將我藏在祂手蔭之下；又使我成為磨亮的箭，將我藏在祂箭袋之中。」－以賽亞書 49:2
「在他蔭下」－這是我們該常常駐留的地方。
日頭耀眼的光芒常刺傷了我們的眼，使我們眼花，看不清景物。神將我們藏在病痛的陰影下，蜷曲於陰翳的幽谷中，使我們終日嘆息。
不要怕！這是神手的蔭蔽，祂正在引導你，因為有些功課唯有在黑暗中才能習得。
要洗出亮麗的照片，需要進入暗房；要看清神的榮面，也得進入漆黑的內室。祂不會置你於不顧，你仍藏在祂的箭袋中，祂並未將你撇下。
祂不過是將你安放於身旁，直到時機成熟。等到祂需要藉著你來榮耀祂自己，祂就會毫不猶豫的將你搭在飽滿的弓弦上，迅捷準確地將你射出。
哦，在陰暗中孤寂的人阿，別忘了箭袋已緊緊的束於戰士的身上，在祂隨手可及之處，祂必不將你忘記！
"In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft: in his quiver hath he hid me" (Isa. 49:2)."In the shadow." We must all go there sometimes. The glare of the daylight is too brilliant; our eyes become injured, and unable to discern the delicate shades of color, or appreciate neutral tints--the shadowed chamber of sickness, the shadowed house of mourning, the shadowed life from which the sunlight has gone.
But fear not! It is the shadow of God's hand. He is leading thee. There are lessons that can be learned only there.
The photograph of His face can only be fixed in the dark chamber. But do not suppose that He has cast thee aside. Thou art still in His quiver; He has not flung thee away as a worthless thing.
He is only keeping thee close till the moment comes when He can send thee most swiftly and surely on some errand in which He will be glorified. Oh, shadowed, solitary ones, remember how closely the quiver is bound to the warrior, within easy reach of the hand, and guarded jealously. --Christ in Isaiah, Meyer
In some spheres the shadow condition is the condition of greatest growth. The beautiful Indian corn never grows more rapidly than in the shadow of a warm summer night. The sun curls the leaves in the sultry noon light, but they quickly unfold, if a cloud slips over the sky. There is a service in the shadow that is not in the shine. The world of stellar beauty is never seen at its best till the shadows of night slip over the sky. There are beauties that bloom in the shade that will not bloom in the sun. There is much greenery in lands of fog and clouds and shadow. The florist has "evening glories" now, as well as "morning glories." The "evening glory" will not shine in the noon's splendor, but comes to its best as the shadows of evening deepen.
