Life Valleys In Life Values Series

THOU ART WITH ME - Psalm 23:4

Illustration:

An aeroplane was going through very rough weather and great turbulence. The Airhostess instructed all the passengers to be careful and fasten their seat belts. The turbulence increased, the plane was going up and down people were shouting and crying. A boy was very cool and not worried about the situation. Finally, the plane landed. Many asked that boy why you were not afraid of the situation. He told them “The Pilot of this flight is my DAD”.

Now our Life journey is also with turbulences. Nearly 177 countries are affected by ‘Coronavirus Disease’ and more than two-thirds of the World Population is under lockdown. So much a threat to life. The situation demands Social distancing, self-isolation and quarantine.

This COVID-19 categorized everyone as untouchable. There is a fear of death and fear of disease. The new quotations of present days are: “Divide we stand, unite we fall”. “Stand lonely to stay healthy”. In this context, the LORD would like to prompt all those who are listening to this sermon and viewing this video, that “HE IS WITH US”, Jehovah Shammah.

On the first day of this month, take courage and have great faith and confess with an unmovable trust in Almighty God and say: “THOU ART WITH ME”. David acknowledges that ‘The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want’. He continued to claim with great confidence “Thou art with me when I walk through the valley” in Psalm 23:4.

Let us reflect this statement of David with our life context based on three “Valleys” mentioned in the Bible concerning this present context of COVID-19.

Psalm 23:4 - Valley of the shadow of death

Psalm 84:6 - Valley of Baca (Weeping)

Joel 3:12 - Valley of Jehoshaphat (Judgment)

Valley:

As we all know, a VALLEY is a deep, narrow, dark ravines, extremely perilous and cheerless to walk through. They are cleft between the mountains (Deuteronomy 8:7, 11:11 and Psalm 104:8). Giants used to live in the valleys to terrify the sojourners and rob them (Joshua 15:8). Valleys are between the streams, and intersecting the countries with the bottom of the depressions.

1. VALLEY OF DEATH: (Read: Psalm 23:4)

Hebrews 9:27 says “Man is destined to die once and after that to face judgement”. So, death is unavoidable and it is fixed for all of us. 2 Samuel 14:14 says “Like water spilt on the earth, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.” Job 30:23 tells “Death is appointed for all the living”. Psalm 49:10 Says “all wise men, foolish and senseless will die one day”. Ecclesiasticus 8:8 warns “No one has power over the day of his death”. David sings, “I will fear no evil when I walk through the valley of death”. According to the Jewish understanding, the Valley of Mount Carmel is known as Valley of Death-Shadow.

Now, the valley of death for us is the COVID-19. It is a Plague, Epidemic, pandemic and threat to human existence. It bangs our doors and couches at the gate. Once affected by it, survival is far-reaching because there is no proper medicine to cure. Thanks to the doctors and medical personnel for helping patients to overcome their mental, emotional and physical challenges during the quarantine.

Bible talks about several plagues in history. According to Leviticus 26:21, ‘the plaque was increased seven times because of the sins of the people’. Numbers 11:33 records that ‘plaque was among people because of their meat, before it was chewed, the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague”. According to Zechariah 14:18 ‘, the plague will outburst if they do not observe the feast of Booths’. If they do not give rest to the Land. Now just compare how the land is resting from the movements of people.

David, a man after God’s own heart, expresses in 1 Samuel 20:3 saying “there is only a step between me and death”. He says in Psalm 18:4 and 116:3 ‘the cords of death encompassed me’. He prayed to God in Psalm 9:13, “Lift me from the gates of death”. Today, we are standing just one meter away from death. Social distancing emphasis one meter from one another because there is every possibility to get infected by the droplets of a person or through touch.

But David confidently says, “I Fear No Evil”. Fear weakens a person, leads to defeat. Courage and confident leads to victory. We should not have the fear of death rather safeguard the Temple of God, which is our BODY. The full life has to be lived by every person for the purpose, it created for. The promise given to God’s children was “No plaque shall befall you” (Exodus 12:13). Psalm 91 gives such great comfort to all of us during the times of Plagues.