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. Psalm 23:4
When I was young I refused to acknowledge Psalm 23. My father is a pastor and so I observed many grieving families and attended funerals as was appropriate for a child. Psalm 23 was the ever present scripture for memorial folders. I associated it with death rather than life. I have outgrown that misconception.
In the valley there is the SHADOW of death. Not death, just a harmless shadow! The faithful believer does not die. They pass immediately (actually even quicker than immediately) into the presence of Heaven and they are not disappointed to be there. For those who remain, death is horrible, lonely, it changes life profoundly. Satan attacks us in these vulnerable moments, moments that only faith can see us through. There is no tangible evidence of Heaven, only what is known deeply in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
The Good Shepherd’s rod and staff represent His authority, something the unbeliever or convicted soul resents. These are not tools of cruelty and abuse, instead they protect and guide. God never…..never takes His eyes off you, until you are safely home.
The 23rd Psalm is about life: Life on this side of Heaven and life eternal.
Love,
Gretchen