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Friday, August 14, 2020

The Truth About Shadows and Dark Valleys

As I read Psalm 23:4 it says, 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 your staff, they comfort me.” (ESV)

Only one person can walk with me through death's dark valley and bring me safely to the other side; the God of life, my shepherd. Because life is uncertain, I should continue to follow this shepherd who offers me eternal comfort. 

One of the common sources of stress is loss. I can lose my job, health, money, reputation, or a loved one. The coronavirus pandemic is amplifying the stress. When going through loss, there are two common reactions. One is fear, and the other is grief

Grief is good. it's the way I get through the transitions of life. In fact, if I don’t grieve, I’ll get stuck! Grief will not kill me if I let it out.

Fear, on the other hand, can be a bad thing. Not once in the Bible does it say, “Grieve not,” “Sorrow not,” “Weep not,” or “Cry not.” What it does say is “Fear not.” And it says that a lot, about 365 times! Grief doesn’t paralyze, fear does.

In Psalm 23:4, David says, “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 your staff, they comfort me” (ESV).

David knew shepherds always carried a rod and a staff to protect their sheep. And he knew God had the power to protect him. So David trusted God, even in the darkest valleys.

I’m going through a dark valley right now, and I can choose to trust God, even in the shadows, where it doesn’t make sense and when it can seem like a long way out of the valley.

But, here’s the good news to remember about big, scary shadows. You can’t have a shadow without light. If you see a shadow, that means there is a light shining nearby.

So the key when I’m going through the valley of the shadow, is to turn my back on the shadow and look at the light. Because as long as I keep my eyes on the light, Jesus, the Light of the World, the shadow won’t scare me.

Just like David, trust God in the dark valleys, and pray, “When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn” (Psalm 142:3 NLT).

In summary, even though I will walk through the valley of the shadow, I can learn to not fear evil, for you Lord are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Only one person can walk with me through death's dark valley and bring me safely to the other side; God my shepherd. One of the common sources of stress is loss. The coronavirus pandemic is amplifying the stress. When going through loss, there are two common reactions. One is fear, and the other is grief. Grief is good. It's the way I get through the transitions of life. If I don’t grieve, I’ll get stuck! Grief will not kill me if I let it out. Fear on the other hand can be a bad thing. The Bible tells me “Fear not.”  Grief doesn’t paralyze, but fear will. David knew God had the power to protect him. Also, you can’t have a shadow without light. If I see a shadow, that means there is a light shining nearby. So I need to learn to turn my back on the shadow and look at the light. As long as I keep my eyes on the light, the shadow won’t scare me. So trust God in the dark valleys, and pray,

My biggest shadow is the upcoming end of my job. There is a certain amount of security that comes from having a long term permanent job. Fears of not finding a new role or having financial difficulties due to not working in the background cause me fear. Today’s devotional helps remind me that you are with me and will protect me. You have plans for me. I just need to trust you no matter what things look like to me. You will never rip me off. Your building in me the character you want for me and to fulfill the mission you have given me.  

Father, with the help of your Holy Spirit, remind me to continue to trust in you, listen for what my next steps should be and be comforted by your presence. I also ask you for wisdom and guidance for my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. These things I ask in you Son Jesus’ name, amen.

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