Psalm 23:4 (a): Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
Experiencing Jesus in the Psalms
A dark shadow may appear to be quite frightening but it has no real power to harm us. And death, unpleasant and forbidding as it may be, cannot finally do any real harm to the child of God. Henry T. Mahan writes: ‘… Christ has removed the substance of death and only a shadow remains. A shadow is there but cannot hurt or destroy.’ While admitting that the valley is ‘deep indeed, and dark, and dirty’, Matthew Henry calls it a fruitful place and concludes that death offers ‘fruitful comforts to God’s people’.
David describes his activity in the valley as walking, which is regarded as pleasant and restful. How thankful we should be for this word! The valley of death is not the stopping place for the children of God. It is a traveling place. Matthew Henry notes that the saints of God will not get lost in it but will come out safely. The Lord himself was the basis of David’s peace about death. As David contemplates his death, suddenly he is aware that someone else is there in the shadows. It is the Lord himself. 1
Living the Transformed Life
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. Isaiah 41:10
- When you walk, follow closely behind the One who is walking in front of you.
- When you walk, look upward to the One who will lead you out of the valley.
- When you walk, trust the One who will take you through the journey of life.
Fear died, when I died with Christ and rose with Christ.
Praise and Prayer
Thank You, Father, for being with me, when the shadows try to intimidate me. Dear Jesus, please teach me to walk in confidence before You, for Your glory.
1. Ellsworth, R. (2006). Opening up Psalms (pp. 48–49). Leominster: Day One Publications.
