Psalm 23 has been the chosen psalm several times this past year for the Book of Common Prayer Lectionary Scripture selections, which is understandable, as this is one of the most beloved of all Scriptures. Today I want to focus on verse 4 from our psalm, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Though I live in the flat plains of the Chicagoland area, I have been in the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains several times. If my life circumstances were to ever change, and I could move to wherever I chose to, I have even thought of moving to the mountains. Living in a village in a mountain valley may be nice, but traveling through the valleys of life are often not too pleasant. Throughout life we go through many such valleys. There is death, of course, which casts a very large and dark shadow across each of our lives. Most people have lost loved ones in that dark valley, and until the day when Jesus returns, we all will go through that valley, as well. There are other valleys many of us go through, as well, such as valleys filled with physical ailments of our own or loved ones. That valley can be scary and sometimes painful. There are also valleys of financial troubles, family problems, and also emotional turmoil. These are also very difficult valleys to travel through.
What does our verse promise us? David, the psalmist who wrote these beloved words, promised us that God is with us in this valley. He is walking that dark and shadowy path with us. We don’t need to fear wherever our path may lead. God is there, walking with us. Our path may lead us down deep into the valley. It may also lead us through the flood or fire (Isaiah 43:1-3). Do we see our Savior walking with us, His arms around us all the way? Knowing that, we can be assured that we will be alright.
Why, we may wonder, do we have to go down into these valleys of difficulty? In the mountains, when we are on one mountaintop, and we see another mountain that we need to go to, how do we get there? If we are a bird, it is easy to just fly over to that other mountain. We are not birds, though, so we can’t just take off and land on the other mountain. We have to go down, across the valley, and then on up to the other mountain we need to get to. God sometimes permits His children to go through some difficult times, some shadowy valleys, in order to get us to where He wishes us to be in our life, some other “mountain” He wants us on. We can be assured that our Good Shepherd is walking with us, protecting us from all danger.
Our Good Shepherd, who travels this valley with us, comes well equipped. He carries with Him both a rod and a staff, which are common articles that any good shepherd will carry with them. A shepherd always had a rod, which was a good, strong stick, sometimes 3 - 4 feet in length. These would often be used as a weapon, like a club, against any predatory animal that would come against the sheep. Going through a dark and shadowy valley, the sheep could easily find himself face to face with a wolf, mountain lion, or some other danger. A good shepherd would have his rod ready to protect them. Our Good Shepherd is also well equipped to protect and care for His sheep, us believers, as we go through our various dark valleys. He won’t leave us defenseless and ready to perish.
The shepherds also had a staff, which has the familiar crook at the end of it. Though they, too, could be used to fend off wild animals, the rod was a better weapon for that. The staff with the crook at the end would be used to nudge the wandering sheep back into the fold when they would stray. He could use the crook at the end to wrap around the sheep’s neck or shoulder, and bring them back where they belonged, safe within the fold. A sheep on his own was vulnerable to attack by wild beasts. Our Good Shepherd does the same for us. When we wander off, astray from His Word and His care, sometimes He needs to take that staff and give us a yank to get us back where we belong.
These two pieces of shepherds’ equipment may seem like they are harsh, but they are necessary for the safety of the sheep. Jesus is with us through the valleys. He is there to protect us. He is our Savior and our Good Shepherd, and He goes before us on the path, protecting us from all danger.
A comforting message, Sarah. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first Bible verse I memorized. It has been of great comfort to me in a wide variety of circumstances. Jesus walks with us every step of the way! Praise God!
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