Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me.”
We all walk through several valleys throughout our lifetime. If you could attach a name to the valley you are in right now, what would you name it? Would it be the Hope Deferred Valley? Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Keep on keeping on giving your needs and desires to God. You are in His presence. He hears and loves you. Faith, endurance, and perseverance are on this path.
Or are you in the Valley of Weeping? Some say Psalm 84 is called the Valley of Baca, a Hebrew word meaning weep, wail, grieve, and mourn with tears. “When we walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. the autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.” Psalm 84:6 NLT. As we travel through the Valley of Weeping (Baca) there are hard and treacherous times that bring tears to our eyes from our emotions out of the pain and suffering. Yet those are the times when we long deeply for God, our Great Shepherd, to give us strength, comfort, mercy, grace, and extend blessings to us. Psalm 84:11 declares, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Helplessness and greater empathy are found on this path, along with humility. Here is when we have an opportunity to experience even more deeply God’s faithfulness.
David found himself in the “valley of the shadow of death.” This is the central verse of Psalm 23. David is speaking to God -to the shepherd, not about the shepherd, in verse four. Before, he wrote about green pastures and still waters. Yet we, as David did, may walk through this valley, which is not on a mountaintop but being hedged in this fearful, dark, uneasy, not clearly lit valley he called the shadow of death. Yet this was not David’s final destination, and it is not ours. We have the reassurance that, “He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.” Psalm 121:3.
Dear friend, even though you may be going through the valley of hope deferred, or the valley of weeping, or the valley of the shadow of death, there is hope because our good shepherd, our God, walks through this valley with us. We have the promise of Psalm 91:1-2, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the almighty. I will say to the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” This path is the path of God strengthening you, protecting you, loving you, and molding you into His purpose and glory of God. We need to abide in Him and not in our problematic valley. So, we can sing loudly, even though this is hard right now, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” NLT.
Listen to Rebecca St. James – “Dawn” featuring Luke Smallbone [Official Studio Session].