40 Days of Promise | Day 9

Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of Promise
Day 9 | Through the Valley | Psalm 23:4
Through the Valley
Psalm 23:4
“Yea, 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.”

As we continue our look at the promises in this very well-known psalm, we come to a VERY encouraging verse for such times as these.

Looking at the earthly shepherd with his fluffy white sheep, there are dangers all around those sheep.  Many other critters – wolves, foxes, coyotes, bears, lions and on and on – would love a good meal of one or more sheep. Thus, that shepherd must defend and protect the sheep even in the vicinity of animals keen on making them their next meal. The shepherd’s rod and staff can prove most helpful in defending the flock AND in guiding the sheep.

Our Heaven Father – our LORD – provides similar protection for us. He knows all too well, what lurks in the dark corners of our future.

As the apostle Peter reminds us: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

We don’t face much threat from bears, lions, and all the rest… but we do face danger from our “adversary the devil” who “walks about like a roaring lion.”  NOTE: The devil is NOT a roaring lion, he only APPEARS that way to scare us.

Thankfully, OUR SHEPHERD “has his number” as we might say, and will protect us even though we are the “valley of the shadow of death.”  He will be with us, using His rod and staff to comfort and guide us. We can be stupid and reject that guidance… but to our own peril.

Prayer: LORD, I want your guidance and your presence.  I feel at times that I am walking in the “valley of the shadow of death.”  Things are so complicated and the world so messy today.  Thank YOU for being my Shepherd.  Amen.