Words of Grace | Psalm 23 | The Valley of the Shadow of Death"

Psalm 23 - “The Valley of the Shadow of Death…”

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” (Psalm 23:4). Up to this point the sheep in Psalm 23 have been passive. The sheep are being made to lie down, and being led, and being restored, but now there is actual movement where the sheep are walking and going somewhere.

But the unexpected development in the story of Psalm 23 is that the Good Shepherd's “path of righteousness” often includes “the valley of the shadow of death.” Friends, your “valley” right now is not the destination but only the journey. If you find yourself in the valley of deep darkness, it is because the Good Shepherd has led you there. That means that the valley does not mean that you have left the paths of righteousness; rather God is walking right beside you. In fact, He is closer to you than you think!

At this very moment, you might feel more lost than ever, but your Good Shepherd is not standing there beside you lost or scratching his head wondering what to do. He is not up ahead asking for directions. He knows where he is leading you. He knows there's a way through the valley and out of it because that was his own experience of the valley.

He has been there himself: he walked in the “paths of righteousness” and that eventually led him – not only to the valley of deep darkness – but the deepest darkness where he suffered humiliation at the hands of people and finally death on the cross. If you are in the valley, know that the Good Shepherd is with you. And not only is he there with you, but he will uphold you through the valley. One commentator says: “The darker the shadow, the closer the Lord.”

Also notice the word “walk.” Think about what we normally do when we’re in the midst of darkness. We either freeze and stand motionless, like in the middle of a blackout. Or we run as fast as possible to escape the lingering dangers that might be lurking in the darkness, like a small child running up the stairs to the attic as quickly as possible and hurrying back down before being lost forever to the imagined monsters hiding in its crawl spaces.

So what kind of person simply walks through the deep darkness? Only the person who has no reason to fear it.  Charles Haddon Spurgeon comments: “To walk indicates the steady advance of a soul which knows its road, knows its end, resolves to follow the path, feels quite safe, and is therefore perfectly calm and composed.” We have no reason to fear the darkness of the valley, because God is with us.

Until next time, may the goodness and mercy of God follow you all the moments of this day!