IN THE SHADOW OF THE VALLEY
Psalm 23
One of the most beloved Psalms of the Bible is Psalm 23. Psalm 23 likens us to sheep which are vulnerable. We as Americans do not like to see ourselves as vulnerable. For that matter, no one likes to be seen as weak and vulnerable. As one of the major national symbols of our country we have the Bald Eagle. The Bald Eagle is a symbol of strength and majesty. To see ourselves as sheep makes us feel weak. Like it or not, we are more vulnerable than we would be comfortable admitting. Perhaps one of the reasons that we see the Bald Eagle as a symbol of strength is because of its spirit of independence. The spirit of independence is woven into the fabric of our nation’s way of thinking and history. Compared to the eagle, we see that the sheep is dependent upon the resources of the shepherd for protection. The whole point of Psalm 23 is that we are sheep who are dependent upon the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ (John 10:11). Without God’s help we cannot have the kind of peace that passes understanding (Philipians 4:7) because we would be too busy leaning to our own resources and our own understanding .
On September 11, 2001 the United States of America became a victim of an act of cowardice when terrorists launched an unprovoked attack. Terrorists are nothing more than international bullies who want to strike without warning and cause great loss to life, limb and peace. They like to instill fear into their victims making them afraid. They attack their victims making a point that is pointless. They want to traumatize our way of every day life. The terrorists succeeded in terrorizing us. But, unless we let them they have not, will not and cannot defeat us.
Psalm 23 is a passage of scripture that reminds us of how God takes care of us even in times of danger. God takes care of us even when we encounter threatening circumstances in the valley of the shadow of death. Consider the images of Psalm 23 and how they relate to what it is that they convey as sources of strength. Yes, the images are metaphors. But, they are metaphors of the reality of the spiritual strength and support that God gives to us.
THE GREEN PASTURES
Sheep will not lie down unless they have eaten their fill (Psalm 23a). To lie down in green pastures is a comforting metaphor. It reminds us that God takes care of our needs. God provides for all of our needs. Psalm 23 is a Psalm that reminds of how God takes care of us from the cradle to the grave and beyond. When the Lord is our Shepherd, He takes care of all of our needs in such a way that we will not be lacking because He provides for all of our needs (Psalm 23:1).
Sheep are content in the green pastures because the shepherd is nearby (Psalm 23:2a). The imagery of the Bible in other Psalms (Psalms 46 as an example) reminds us that God is our refuge. There are many who might wonder “Where is God?” or “Where was God?” God is everywhere and He knows our pain. We know that God is with us through His Holy Spirit. In fact, when we do not know how to pray any harder or when we feel like we are at a loss of words to pray with, God’s Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8: 26-27). The Shepherd is still with us.
THE STILL WATERS
Another image that comes from this Psalm is that of still waters (Psalm 23:2b). “He leads me besides the path of still waters …” Why is that image so important? The image is important because sheep are vulnerable and do not like swift moving water. Sheep will not drink from a body of water unless the water is still.
Jesus’ disciples did not like rippling water. Remember when Jesus’ disciples were in a boat in the sea of Galilee with Jesus (Mark 4:35-41)? A storm came up. The storm was so fierce that it scared the disciples to death. In fact, they were so scared they went to Jesus and frantically said, “Master, save us lest we perish!” Remember how Jesus responded? “O ye of little faith” (KJV). And then He put His hand up over the sea and said, “Peace be still”. And the storm stopped. If we had been in that same boat, our reaction would have been the same. Peter, Andrew, James and John were all fishermen who had probably encountered storms before. But, for some reason this particular storm scared them senseless. Jesus can bring peace to our raging internal storms if we will trust Him!
THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
Storms at sea are bad enough, but walking into a scary place raises our anxiety. Nobody likes to be scared to death. We associate the dark with fear. When I was little, I had a Popeye night light. Having that little tiny light in my bedroom as a child helped me to sleep peacefully at night. When we get older, somehow it seems that we are not as afraid of the dark as we once were. However, when we face a crisis such as the one that we faced on September 11, 2001 when the cowardly terrorists attacked us, there is a part of us that is afraid. We are not afraid of monsters under the bed or in the closet like we were as children. No, our fears are much more serious. We are afraid of the darkness because of how we associate darkness with evil.
Jesus is our night light. As children of God, we know that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). If we put our trust in Jesus who is our Good Shepherd, then we will began to realize that there cannot be a shadow unless there is a light. Jesus is our night light when we find ourselves afraid of the dark! We do not have to fear evil because has conquered evil! Where there is light there is life! Those who love darkness are evil: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19 NIV). The terrorists who love darkness would love nothing more than for us to live in darkness and be afraid.
"Several years ago there was a well-known television circus show that developed a Bengal tiger act. Like the rest of the show, it was done "live" before a live audience, One evening, the tiger trainer went into the cage with several tigers to do a routine performance. The door was locked behind him. The spotlights highlighted the cage, the television cameras moved in close, and the audience watched in suspense as the trainer skillfully put the tiger through their paces. In the middle of the performance the worst possible fate befell the act: the lights went out! For twenty or thirty long, dark seconds the trainer was locked in with the tigers. In the darkness they could see him, but he could not see them. A whip and a small kitchen chair seemed meager protection under the circumstances, but he survived and when the lights came on calmly finished the performance. In an interview afterward, he was asked how he felt knowing that the tigers could see him but that he could not see them. He first admitted the chilling fear of the situation, but pointed out that the tigers did not know that he could not see them. He said, "I just kept cracking the whip and talking to them until the lights came back on. And they never knew that I could not see them as well as they could see me." (Thomas Lane Butts. Tigers In The Dark. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978, pp. 15-16).
THE SHEPHERD’S PROTECTION
This Psalm reminds us of the fact that the shepherds had a rod and a staff (Psalm 23:4b). The rod was an instrument that could be used like a club on predators of prey. The staff was an instrument like a long cane where the shepherd could pull a sheep back to safety from the danger of falling off a cliff. Shepherds also carried slings. David, when he was a shepherd boy, used a sling to slay Goliath (First Samuel 17:48-50).
Someone might ask, “Well where was God when the terrorists attacked our nation?” God was with those who were attacked. And God is also with us. Jesus is our Immanuel (meaning God with us) according to Matthew 1:23. If we are God’s children, then nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). That is where free will comes in. It was definitely not God’s will for the terrorist to attack us. But, if God were to take away or free will, then we would no longer be able to make decisions for ourselves. Worshipping and believing in God is something that we do by our choice. The enemy attacked out of their free will apart from the will of God. If we do not believe in the Shepherd (Jesus) who laid His life for His sheep (John 10:11), then when we die we die apart from God. Paul said what he said in relation to us as sheep and God as the shepherd in Romans 8. He even alluded to Psalm 147:19 where it mentions that we are considered as sheep for the slaughter (Romans 8:36). Again, Paul concludes by saying that nothing would be able to separate us from the love of God! Jesus told us not to fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear Him who is able to destroy both the body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). Dying apart from God is a guarantee to spend eternity in hell. The terrorists might have succeeded in killing innocent people, but they did not succeed in stealing the souls of God’s sheep! Our enemies cannot come to the table that the Lord prepares for us (Psalm 23:5a).
The shepherd anoints us for healing (Psalm 23:5b). Shepherds would always anoint the cuts and the abrasions with oil. This would help the injuries of the sheep to heal. God will heal our injuries. Jesus loves us so much that He knows all of His sheep by name (John 10:14). The story “Footprints” is a testimony as to how God will heal, comfort and console us.
Footprints
One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed that he was walking along the
beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
He noticed two sets of footprints in the
sand: one belonging to him,
the other to the Lord.
When the last of his life flashed before
him, he looked back at the
Footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path
there was only one set
of footprints.
He recalled that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.
He questioned, “Lord, you said that once I
decided to follow you,
you’d walk with me all the way.
Then why during the most troublesome times
in my life
When I needed you most, would you leave me?”
The Lord replied, “My precious, precious
child, I love you and would
never leave you.
During your times of trials and suffering,
when you see only one set
of footprints, it was then that I carried
you”. (Anonymous).
GOD’S HOUSE IN HEAVEN
Psalm 23 ends by saying that sheep will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6). Jesus told His disciples in John 14:2 that He is preparing a place for us in His Father’s house. We do not go to that place in heaven until our work on earth is through. The comfort is in knowing that we will dwell with the Lord forever if we are children of God. If we do not know God, then we are a slave to sin and there is no permanent place for slaves (John 8:34-35). A slave is an unrepentant sinner whose wages will en in death (Romans 6:23). A forgiven sinner is a child of God (First John 1:9).
Death is the last enemy that is conquered for those who are God’s children (First Corinthians 15:36). If we are God’s children, then we are born twice and die once. We did not have any choice about our first birth. But, we do have a choice about being born again. If we are not God’s children, then we are born once and die twice. The second death is eternal separation in a place called hell (Revelation 20:6, 14). If we are Christians, then death will have no sting and the grave will have no victory (First Corinthians 15:55). Christ conquered sin, death and the fear of death. Therefore, we should not fear when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4a)!
Our weakness is made perfect in God’s Strength (Second Corinthians 12:9). Yes, we are as weak and vulnerable as sheep. But, we have the God-given strength that helps us to endure and to stand. Listen to how God sustains us when we depend on Him: “He gives strength to the weary, and young men will stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV). Surely God’s love will and does follow us all of the days of our lives (Psalm 23:6a). And our cup is over flowing (Psalm 23:5b). It has been said many times that we do not always know what the future holds, but we do know who holds our future! When we have that kind of hope it is then that we realize that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39).
