O LORD, what is man that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.
Babies have separation anxiety. It is a normal part of development to think that when Mom leaves the room, they will never see her again. Thankfully, as times goes on, the child develops a trust that they will see their loved ones again. Adults have separation anxiety too but in a different way. In this mindset, they do not see God, therefore, he does not exist. In this mindset, they will never see their departed loved ones again. In this mindset, this is all there is. This brief glimpse of life is here and gone with nothing to show for it except anxiety that this is all there is. They are separated from their Heavenly Father and the terror that results explains the increasing despair we are seeing in our young people today.
C.S. Lewis called this world a Shadowland. He did not make it up like he did with his Narnia series. He knew what the psalmist said here. Man is like a passing shadow. This is not his real life. There is a better one to come. This earth is a shadowland. It is not the real world. There is a better world to come. This is true only for those whose separation anxiety is cured by adoption as a child of God. No one can separate us from the love of God. That brings comfort in a world of anxiety.
Dear Lord, thank you for the comfort of knowing you think of us. Help us to trust that you will return and bring real life to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church