The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death

Psalm 23

With all of the current fears over the coronavirus (Covid-19) going around, many are succumbing to fear and panic. Psalm 23 is one of many Scriptures we can meditate on, which by God’s blessing is the Psalm in the Book of Common Prayer’s Lectionary this week.  Today I will focus on verse 4.

Living just a couple of miles west of Chicago, I live in the “flatlands”.  However, I have driven in both the Rocky Mountains, about a thousand miles to my west, and in the Appalachian Mountains, about 500 miles to my east.  Deep in the mountains there are valleys that might only get a few hours of sunlight, remaining in shadows for many more hours of the day. Back in the day when all travel was done on foot, or if lucky, on a horse or mule, dark and shadowy valleys could be fearsome, with bandits lurking in hiding for the traveler to pass through.  Deep in the mountains there would be no hesitation for the bandit to harm or even kill the traveler.

Our life is a journey, traveling from the day of our birth to that of our death.  There are some sunny, bright days, and some not so sunny ones. Sometimes passing through valleys, and even a valley of the shadow of death.  As we all know, one doesn’t have to be old and gray for death’s shadow to come close. The shadow can come at any time in life, falling near us or a loved one.  There are all sorts of illnesses that haunt the valley of the shadow of death - cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, and countless others, including just plain old age.  Accidents haunt this valley, as well. This is a fearsome valley. Sunshine and light do not often reach here. Sudden death comes.

Death can cast a frightening shadow over us.  There is nothing we can do to permanently stop it.  At best we can struggle to put it off for a few years, perhaps, but not forever.  David, our psalm’s author, conveys that the valley of the shadow of death is a perilously threatening environment.  Death has the final word. God, the Good Shepherd, can walk with us through that dark valley of death, and bring us safely to the other side.

If we are believers and followers of Jesus, we will never walk  through these dark valleys alone. Jesus promises to be with us.  The Good Shepherd Jesus protects and guides His sheep through every twist and turn of this valley.  His rod is a shepherd’s club, used to fight off predatory animals. The staff has a crooked neck, which is used to guide a wayward sheep back from danger and into the fold again.  Both of these our Shepherd will use to guide and protect us.

God’s Word is the primary means of comfort the Good Shepherd uses.  The truths of Scripture assure us of God’s love and strength, which can enable us to endure and grow through difficult experiences.  One truth is that we can never be snatched away from Jesus’ protective hand (John 10:29). Another promise is that He will never leave us, never, even in the midst of the dark valley we travel through (Hebrews 13:5-6).  He will never leave us, including during this world-wide pandemic, so we do not need to fear. Since God is leading us, and if we are faithfully following Him, we have nothing to fear.

We need to follow our Shepherd’s voice wherever He leads, even though the valley.  Stop worrying, and believe in God. Look to the Shepherd. Listen to the Shepherd. Lean on the Shepherd.