A Closer look at Ps. 23:4

A Closer Look At Ps. 23:4 Category: Religion and Philosophy
Most of us know the 23 Psalm by heart but have you ever really examined the words, really examined it? Vs. 4 say's 'Yea, thought 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.' So lets examine it. 'Yea, though I walk through the valley'. We all go through a valley now and then. (If you have not gone through one in a while you might need check yourself to see if you are still reaching to grow in God.) So the valley will be there and we will have to go through it, but carefully read the next part. 'Valley of the of death'. Shadows are Satans way of distracting us. A shadow is not the real thing but a darkness seen as a result of the light. It in its self is harmless. However, just as a child does in the night, we are often afraid of what we see. But when you show the child that they only see this darkness because of the light and what made the shadow is usually of not threat, they then feel secure. Our valleys only seem scary to us because we have seen the light but we must stay focased on the light and not the shadow. The shadow can not reach out and touch you. Now, the 'SHADOW of death'. For us to experence spiritual death would be for us to be seperated from God. That is one reason the shadows are scarey, they make us think that death is near us. But the psalmist said ' Though I walk'. We are not to stop but to continue to travel on. The only way to get through a valley is to walk through. If we climb out of the valley early, we do not learn what it is that God has for us to learn. 'For YOU are with me'. HE never leaves us, we are the ones who walk away. When a shepherd is moving his sheep he dosn't always walk in front for them to follow but sometimes he walks close behind. With his 'rod and staff' he directs them when they begin to stray. Our Father said He is the Great Shepherd! When we are in the valley it is so easy to be distracted and stray. The deffination of a staff is 'a large heavy stick: a stick, rod, or pole, such as a stick used as a support while walking, or a rod used as a symbol of authority' (Encarta ® World English Dictionary) Even though the shepherd has authority over the sheep, when they stray he takes his staff and gently tries to nudge the sheep back into the right direction. Just as our Great Shepherd does with us. There are times that there may be a sheep that is very determined and wants to constantly stray. In that case the shepherd often will break the leg of the sheep so he can not run. During that time he has only the shepherd to rely on for his full care. When the leg has healed the sheep will not be prone to roam in the wrong direction. Oh, how many times has God had to 'break our leg' to teach us to fully rely on Him. But during that time He takes care of our needs and 'nurses' us back to good health (spiritually) We have to remember that no matter what shadows we see, no matter how much we may want to stray because of what we do or do not see, HE will never leave or forsake us. Praise God!! Father, Take our lives and keep us close to you. Help us not to dwell on the shadows or the valley itself but that we would keep our eyes on you. YOU are the GREAT SHEPHERD. Help us to allow you to direct our paths. In Jesus Name Amen