When I was 8 years old, I had a dog named Rex. The name is Latin for King. And he was certainly the king! This dog was a black and brown German Shepherd. At 8 years old, he was big enough for me to ride him like a horse, and when he stood on his hind legs he was taller than my dad.

            I would have friends come to the house and stand at the fence, and Rex would run full force into the fence, and go right through it, and chase the kid down the street to his house, while dragging the fence on his back. He wasn’t mad or trying to be protective, he just wanted to play with the kid! As big and powerful as this dog was, we could always get the dog to freak out by getting him to chase shadows.

            We would stand in the sun and let our shadows be cast on him, then he would go crazy trying to catch the shadows. Of course, the shadows were quite elusive, being unable to be caught. So he would just be running from one shadow to another trying to catch these things. He would never quit. As long as there was a shadow being cast, he would be running crazy after it. You know he felt good chasing them, expecting to catch them. But you also know, frustration sets in when the shadow, which is within reach, cannot not be apprehended.

            These shadows, many times, are like the advise that people give us. It is superficial and shallow, leading us away from where we want to be. It’s like taking an aspirin for a broken leg. It may help you feel better for a while, but it does not fix your problem. The advise may make us feel good, but we are only chasing a shadow, because it does not produce results.

            You may go on a shopping spree that gives you a rush and helps you feel better, but how long will those new things keep you going, until you need another spree? It is a shadow that shows promise, but cannot deliver. Then how big will the rush be when the credit card bill comes in?

            Galatians 5:22 tells us that one of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. Nehemiah 8:10 says to take joy in the Lord and it will be our strength. God has placed the producing of joy in our life as a top priority. He is committed to fulfilling this in our life. It does not come from chasing the shadows around us, but comes from the substance of God within us. It is His life that will produce our joy! Allow the Spirit of God to produce joy in you, for who you are in Him, and life itself will be more joyful than ever! We will no longer have to chase empty shadows, but can live in the very substance of real life from the Holy Spirit of God!