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Northern Light

Life in the Valley of the Shadow

This meditation comes from the memorial service for a federal law enforcement officer in our community:

If there remains one passage from the Christian scriptures, the Bible, that is still widely recognized in our day, it is probably this passage from the book of Psalms: Psalm 23.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, the comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

It is quite an idyllic, pastoral scene of comfort these words present. The thoughts of green meadows and quiet mountain streams and a gentle, compassionate, protective Shepherd have encouraged and sustained many in times of grief, distress, and need. I would ask you to turn your attention for a moment on only one verse, the fourth one, the verse that says, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.”

We often turn to this verse in moments of crisis. We see in these words a picture of darkness and the threat of death and we associate them with moments of extreme stress, despair, or trouble. But I think our psalmist is making a different point. I don’t think he is talking about just a moment of life, I think he is talking about all of life. Some of you gathered in this room know better than the rest of us that in reality all of life is lived in the shadow of death.

A simple border crossing inspection can take an unexpected turn and the mundane becomes a threat. An routine traffic stop can turn deadly. An ambulance call can instantly go awry. In a moment, with heart-rending suddenness, a family of four can become a family of three. From the moment we enter our fragile existence in the world, we live under the looming shadow of death. So I don’t think the psalmist is pointing out his journey through the valley of the shadow of death as all that unusual. It is a regular and normal part of life.

What I think is unusual is his attitude toward death and the evil it presents. He walks fearlessly through the valley of the shadow of death. He does not cower at the presence of death nor shrink in fear of the consequences of dying. He is not afraid to die nor to stand in the presence of His maker and give an account of his life. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and as a result of sin deserve death. Sin is most simply understood as not believing in or obeying God, and we are all guilty of sin. We all have something to be afraid of when it comes to death, but the psalmist says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

Why? That’s what I want to know. Why can he be fearless when there is so much to be afraid of? He is unafraid, fearless in the valley of the shadow of death, because he has a personal relationship with his ever-present Shepherd. “I will fear no evil, because you are with me.”

He has spoken in the third person all along. He has talked about God his Shepherd, about God’s goodness, about God’s blessings, about God’s care, but when he comes to talk about evil and fear in the valley of the shadow of death, he does not talk about God, he talks to God. “I fear no evil because You are with me.” God is real. God is near. God is personal. God’s blessings are not some religious theory but courage producing reality. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Every day we walk in the shadow of death. Memorial services like this remind us of that reality, but let us also be reminded this morning, we do not have to walk in fear. We too can know with certainty that God Himself walks with us to care for us, to protect us, to make us fearless. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to make everything right between us and God. Christ was buried and rose from the dead three days later, and when we put our faith in Him God forgives us and grants a new life, a life free from the fear of death, a life God Himself makes eternal. Faith in Jesus opens a relationship with God, a relationship in which God is fully present with us for our good, in this life and forever.

We all walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and one day shadow will turn to substance for all of us and we will face our own death. Whether we can face it fearlessly depends on whether God is with us in forgiveness or against us in our sin. When we put our faith in Jesus, He gladly and powerfully walks with us, even as we walk through life in the valley of the shadow of death. Ask God to forgive your sins today in Jesus Christ. Put your trust in Him and let Him walk with you through the valley of the shadow.

The Bible tells us that God is love, and then tells what love is like.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

May the never ending, gracious Love Who is God walk with you and be in you today and every day and may you live in Him as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death.   

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