“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me;” Psalm 23:4a NKJ
This is probably the most impactful of all the verses in Psalm 23. David makes a transition in this verse that is important for us to realize if we are going to experience victory during the valley experiences in our lives. He goes from recounting all the things which God, His shepherd, does for him; to acknowledging the reality of him having to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Then he makes a decision to fear no evil, and reminds himself that God is with him. Did you know that the Valley of the Shadow of Death is a real place? It is a stretch of land between Jerusalem and Jericho. It is a treacherous canyon that the shepherds in David’s day had to traverse in order to lead their sheep to green pastures in the springtime. There isn’t anything written specifically about David going through the valley but with the reference to it in Psalm 23, it is obvious he knew it well. The Valley of the Shadow of Death was a place of transition that wasn’t always easy to get through, but one that had to be walked at times.
Jesus also knew the Valley of the Shadow of Death. This is the region where He was led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil, though the exact location isn’t known. It is the valley he had to walk from Jericho to Jerusalem with His disciples as well. Jesus Christ himself walked through this valley on the way to the Cross! After He walked through this valley, He went to the Cross, died, and was resurrected! Through this act of love for us He conquered death and all forms of death for us as believers. Death to a believer is now only a shadow that cannot harm us. Though our physical bodies will die, we won’t ever die, because we have eternal life through Jesus Christ!
After Jesus returned to Heaven He sent the Holy Spirit as our helper. Like the shepherds we have to walk through valleys of transition in order to get to the green pastures and still waters. But when we walk through these transitional valleys we do not have to walk in fear. With the Holy Spirit operating in us during life’s transitions, we can walk in power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) Since our Shepherd, Jesus Christ walked through the valley of the shadow of death; He made a way for us to walk through our valleys in the safety of His presence, with His light shining the way on the paths we have to walk. All of us know that the transitions in life are difficult and can be a place of fear if we succumb to the enemy’s lies that we are going to be destroyed in them. For instance the death of a loved one, divorce, the diagnosis of disease, miscarriage, job loss, the end of a friendship, an addiction, etc. are all valleys that could lead us to adopt a mindset of fear and worry. But with Jesus as our Shepherd we are assured safe passage through; if we choose like David did, to acknowledge it, refuse to fear it, and to remind ourselves that God is always with us.
If you are like me, you would rather be in the green pastures of life or near the still waters, but the reality is that sometimes we find ourselves in the valleys, needing to make a transition due to circumstance. The valleys of life are frustrating, threatening, stressful, dark, and severe at times; but we do not walk these valleys alone. Jesus Christ is our Shepherd and we have to remind ourselves of that truth and follow His leading if we are going to make it through the valleys safely. And it is also important for us to understand that it is only the “valley of the shadow of death” we walk through, not the valley of death. At the Cross Jesus took on all forms of death! God hit Jesus with every ounce of wrath He had and every form of pain, torture, abuse, anger, frustration, etc. that we would ever face, was placed on Him. At the moment of his death the impact was felt throughout the heavens and the earth! The heavens and earth trembled and shook! The temple curtain tore and the dead came forth from tombs!
All of eternity was affected by the impact of the nails that pierced His body. And when the last breath left Him all eternity was changed forever! Can you see it? Do you comprehend it? We only walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and the shadow cannot destroy us! Think of it this way. Walk in front of a train, car, or bus, and they can kill you or destroy your life. But walk in the shadow of any of those and you will NOT be harmed! A shadow has no power except for the power you give it in your own mind, by thinking what could have happened! The devil does everything he can to get our focus off of Jesus and onto the shadow of the circumstances we face during the transitions we go through. But in Jesus we are assured safe passage to the green pastures and the still waters! It is our responsibility to do as David did in this passage. We have to make the decision to put our trust and faith in knowing Jesus will never leave us or forsake us and choose to battle the thoughts of fear and worry that bombard our minds!
I want to encourage you to meditate on this passage. If you have the tendency to fear the shadow of death during the difficult transitions in your life, make the decision today to remind yourself that Jesus took this on at the Cross. Remind yourself that the shadow of death cannot kill you, destroy you, or defeat you. Tell the devil he is a liar! Put your hope and trust in Jesus Christ your Shepherd, and believe by faith that He is with you and that He will never leave you or forsake you!
Prayer: I believe by faith that as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You are with me. You will lead me, protect me, and provide for me as I walk through it. You are my Shepherd and I choose to follow You! I know that You will give me safe passage to the green pastures and still waters. I praise You for taking on all forms of death at the Cross so that death is now only a shadow that cannot harm me. Amen
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