“How the Shepherd Protects” - Psalm 23 (Day 3)
For the past few days, we've found ourselves inside Psalm 23, reflecting on the ways God is a shepherd to us. Up to this point, David spoke of green pastures, still waters, and right paths - how God leads and guides. All things we instinctively seem to want and desire. Today, the tone changes as we move to verse four, and David finds himself in a dark valley.
Perhaps that's where you reside right now, pressed on all sides, facing adversity, trials, and troubles. Maybe, that's not the case, and you are in a good place, yet you know a friend or family member struggling and quickly losing hope. Before we explore how God can be a good shepherd when everything around us seems bad, I want to provide space for you to pray for those individuals stuck in a dark valley, whether that's yourself or someone you love.
Hopefully, our prayer time brought a bit of hope and light to peek through and illuminate those dark places. As you listen to the words of Psalm 23:1-4, imagine you're David.
Psalm 23:1-4 says this:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Putting words to the trouble facing him, David, once again, reflects on his younger years and his time as a shepherd. Other translations refer to the darkest valley as "the shadow of death" - an actual valley in Israel bearing the same name - a steep and narrow canyon that the sun rarely reaches. David navigated this ominous terrain countless times, protecting his sheep and leading them to safety. The imagery of a valley seems fitting because it perfectly describes our emotions when adversity arrives at our doorstep. We feel hedged in, hard-pressed, and surrounded by the cover of darkness, making it challenging, and sometimes almost impossible, to see the path in front of us.
However, our valleys don't need to be places of despair. Instead, they can be the very spot where we declare our trust in God. We're often guilty of chasing mountaintop experiences or yearning for green pastures, BUT we recognize our need for a shepherd most in those valleys. His presence doesn't eliminate the existence of evil, but it does eradicate our fear of it. The Lord protects us from the enemies that surround us as well as the enemies inside of us like worry, despair, and anger. With God by our side, we can put one foot in front of the other and walk THROUGH the valley because as we'll read later on in the week - the valley is not our home.
Take a moment and consider…HOW HAS GOD USED VALLEY EXPERIENCES IN YOUR LIFE TO SHAPE YOU, BRING YOU CLOSER TO HIM AND DISPLAY HIS FAITHFULNESS TO YOU?
Read today’s passage one more time slowly.
Psalm 23:1-4 says this:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Drawing from his experience as a shepherd in his younger years, David utilizes the imagery of a rod and staff to describe God's care, going so far as saying that these tools bring him comfort. How so? A staff was a walking stick, something a shepherd would routinely use to lean on to rest, provide stability on shaky ground, guide their flock, and save their sheep who were trapped or injured. Today, we can find rest, security in our steps, and peace amid uncertainty, knowing that if we listen to His voice, obey His correction, and follow His guidance, He will lead us out of any valley. A rod served as a weapon in the hands of a shepherd, one he would use to fend off predators. God loves us so much not to leave us to ourselves. He goes before us, protecting us from our enemies. God does not rescue us by removing us from difficult situations; He protects us right in the middle of them.
As we begin to wrap up our time together, we want to provide you some space to respond to what we read and maybe to what God is starting to say to you through Psalm 23. First, take a moment to process this question…WHERE DO YOU NEED TO REMIND YOURSELF THAT GOD IS WITH YOU IN EVERY VALLEY?
Now take a moment to consider God’s rod and staff (His comfort, care, and correction). … HOW INTENTIONAL IS GOD TO PROVIDE AND PROTECT YOU?
PRAYER
Father God,
Those valleys can feel God-forsaken, yet they are God-filled.
You are with us. You surround us. You go before us. We are not alone.
When times are the darkest is when we need to see Your light the brightest.
May we walk confidently through the valley, praising Your faithfulness every step of the way. Amen.