The Unavoidable Dark Valley

                       

 

An army sergeant and a recruit were doing survival trainings in the Rocky Mountains. As they made their way through the woods they suddenly encountered a very large hungry looking grizzly bear coming towards them. The sergeant immediately sat down, ripped off his hiking boots and took a pair of top of the line running shoes out of his backpack.  The recruit watched him and asked “sir, do you really think you are going to outrun that bear?  Putting his arm on the recruit shoulder, the sergeant said “well, you see, I don’t have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you”

Psalm 23 is a psalm of David; in the first three verses David delightfully sings of a God who is a personal shepherd. He sings of a shepherd who makes him to lie down on green pastures and leads him besides quiet water. He describes himself as a contented sheep. The shepherd leads him in path of righteousness and restores him anytime he strays.  Then, in verse 4 we find the first dark note in the beautiful psalm.

David says “Even 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”(Ps. 23:4). The fact that God was David’s shepherd did not keep him from the dark valley. In order for God to lead him to grassy meadows and restful streams, they had to pass through dark and dangerous places. The “paths of righteousness” (v. 3) are not always peaceful paths.

The valley of shadows of death is used figuratively of death (Job 10:21-22, 38:17). This has a delightful application to the dying; but it is for the living too. The words are not in the future tense and therefore are not reserved for a distant moment. The valley of the shadow of death also points to a fearful place of extreme darkness and danger. It is used figuratively of the fearful and distressing experiences of this world (Ps. 107:13-14).

Under the shepherd’s leading, David had walked through the valley of the shadow of death. As a young boy taking care of his father’s sheep, he had faced dangerous lions and bears (I Sam.17:34-35). Later his life was sought by King Saul (1 Sam. 18:6-9) and by his own son (2Sam. 15:13-23). He had to flee to the wilderness and while on the run he had faced many dangers. In the fearful places of his life, the presence of the shepherd had banished fear.

Even though God is our shepherd; nowhere does he promise any of his children freedom from the trials of life. Sometimes God’s children feel like he does not know or care about what is happening to them. God had a great testimony about Job (Ezekiel 14:13-14, Job1:8). Yet, in Job 23, Job was in a dark valley, he complains bitterly about his inability to connect with God. He needed answers God was out of sight. He looked every direction but God was not there (vv 8-9).

Job admitted that he could not get through to God, yet clung to the confidence that even if he could not see God, wherever God was, he had his eyes on Job (he knows the way I take). He also knew that his trial had a purpose. In the midst of bitter complaining, there flamed out a most remarkable evidence of the tenacity of his faith. He affirmed that it was God who was trying him and that he would come forth from the process as gold (v.10).

Stephen was godly man (Acts 6:5, 8) yet his dark valley experience is recorded in Acts 7:54-60, perhaps to give us a glimpse of what happens when God’s children die. The good shepherd did not shield Stephen from death; instead, he walked him through it. Stephen saw the heaven open; he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the father’s right hand. This is interesting because we are told that after ascending, Jesus sat down at the fathers right hand (Mark 16:19) and remains seated there (Luke 22:69).

He is described as seated in other Scriptures (Heb 1:3, 10:12, 12:2). Did Jesus stand in solidarity with Stephen at this moment of crisis? Was he giving Stephen a standing ovation for successfully following in his footsteps? Or did he stand to welcome him home? Possibly we shall find the answer when our turn comes. Stephen did not cry out in panic “I am finished!” he said “Lord receive my spirit. And Lord forgive them” then he fell asleep. When people sleep they wake up again later.

Something else also changes in verse 4 of Psalm 23. In verse 1-3, David uses the third person (“he”) to refer to the Lord. But when he speaks about times of trial (psalm 23:4-5), David shifts to the more intimate second person (“you”). At this point of danger, “you” replaces the more distant ‘He’, in a person-to-person address.  The Shepherd is no longer ahead, to lead, but alongside to escort. God goes before us when the path is smooth, but He stands beside us when the way is dangerous and frightening.

Two things gave peace to the sheep when they walked through valleys of fear: The Shepherd’s presence and his instrument. The “rod” and the “staff” served as instrument of protection and assistance. They were used both to ward off enemies and to rescue straying sheep. The staff was used to correct straying sheep and to lift them out of the crevices into which they may fall. The rod was used to protect the sheep from enemies. The disciplinary use of the “rod” is implied as well.

Discipline may seem unpleasant, but it is a comfort in the long term (Heb 12:5-12). Discipline is also a motivation to “make our paths straight” (Heb. 12:13). As the sheep passed through the most frightening and dangerous of places, they travelled in peace knowing that their shepherd had everything under his control! While God may not always use His power to keep us out of trials, His presence will always be with us through the trials. He said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Duet. 31:6, Joshua 1:5, Heb. 13:5).

Some people seem to feel that God cares about them, only when everything is going well. In sheep-like terms, they think God is with them only when they are lying in grassy meadows alongside restful waters. However, once they find themselves in a dark valley they question the presence and the pastoral care of their Shepherd. David never lost his assurance of God’s care and His keeping. In fact, in times of distress, God’s care and keeping was more certain than ever.

Fear is a normal human emotion designed to alert us of danger so we can take action against it. But God is saying, you don’t have to be terrified and paralyzed by fear. Trust him and face your troubles without panic.  God is everywhere and knows everything. He knows what is going on in your life (Ps. 139:1-10).  He orders your steps and knows the way you take (Ps. 37:23; Job 23:10). He is capable of doing anything he chooses to do (Gen. 18:14, Luke 1:37).

God never promised us freedom from suffering. Jesus faced trials on earth and his disciple faced fearful situations. Paul gives a long list (2 Cor. 11:23-28) of the many dangers he went through; he was eventually killed. We all go through the valley of the shadow of death (2Cor.4:8-11). While we are never promised there will be no evil, we are assured that we need “fear no evil” (Ps. 23: 4), for we will always be in the Shepherd’s presence if we follow Him in His paths.