Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the [sunless] [a]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
Whenever I read this portion of Psalms 23 I am reminded of what David the writer said before he faced Goliath. The sheep that he was looking after in the wilderness faced several dangers. At one time a bear was about to attack them. I am sure the sheep were scared. They were staring at death right in the eyes because they stood no chance against a bear. However, David the shepherd came through to protect them by killing the bear. The same situation appears another time and this time it is a lion. The sheep must have been terrified. If sheep think, I am sure they must have thought that this was their end and if sheep pray, they must have said their final prayer but David the shepherd came through and killed the lion and protected the sheep.
The Lord does the same thing for us that even though we walk through the sunless valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil. Remember He is the one leading us meaning we are not alone in this valley, He is right there with us. In case of any danger then His rod will protect us. I am sure David used his rod to strike the lion and the bear in order to protect the sheep. In the midst of the darkness in the valley we may lose a step, we may trip and stumble or even fall but the Lord with guide us with His staff. He is right there to console and comfort us.
What a reassurance to know that we are not alone when we are in the valley of the shadow of death. What a reassurance to also know that we are passing through and we will get through to the other side as we follow the lead of the good shepherd, to know that we don’t have to worry because He will protect and guide us.
Problems and dangers will arise in this life, but we are set up to be victorious because we are not alone. The good shepherd is right there with us.
