"God, The Shepherd in THE Shadow"

God, the Shepherd in the Shadow

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[ a]I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

***Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Psalm 23:4

In some translations of the Bible, the “darkest valley” in Psalm 23:4 is called “the valley of the shadow of death.” Regardless of the translation, the idea of a shadow-cast valley can be frightening.

This imagery can remind us of a traumatic loss or a difficult crisis, and our memories of such things can be fearful and frightening.

I recall reading about a conversation a widow had not long after her spouse of nearly 60 years had passed away. While she was sitting at her kitchen table, surrounded by photos and stories of their life together, she shared her insight on Psalm 23.

She spoke about the “valley of the shadow of death,” and how dark it can be when mourning the loss of a loved one or even faced with a crisis. Amen.

So, it said that she talked about how quiet and still the house had become; how hard it was to stay in a home filled with memories. Think about that, I’m sure that was heartbreaking, and yet as heartbreaking as it was, she stated she had found a glimpse of hope while traveling through that valley.

The only way for a shadow to exist, she said, is for a source of light to be present. A shadow is not the absence of light, but rather the evidence of a light nearby. She also noted that the greater the source of light, the smaller the shadow-cast, the smaller your problems, circumstances, situation.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the Light and He is bigger and brighter than our crisis or anything we may be going through.

It is His light that overshadows darkness!

Friends, I pray that whatever valley you may be in today or at some other time, the light of Christ may shine bigger and brighter—and that he may be the source of your strength.

The joy of the Lord is our strength, and our strength is renewed in Him every day!

I pray that the Lord of light, shine his mercy and love into our darkest valleys, guiding us always to keep our eyes and hearts on him. Amen