Passing Through The Valley

I have a new appreciation for the book of psalms. If you've ever read it right after the book of Job, it's so refreshing. Refreshing. Effervescent.

But I also have a new appreciation for the book of Job. Reading Job reminded me that it was so easy to have faith when I felt secure. Yes, therein, lies the rub. I was brimming with zeal and confidence and security — I had never quite been shaken, as of yet, nor fully stirred.

God wants to stir us up. He really wants to stir it up in our hearts. He wants to spur us to run the race. Up until about 5 months ago, my walk with the Lord was quite profluent.

But then my world got turned upside down by the mighty hand of God. Was it sin? Was it disobedience? Was it unrepentance? Was it disbelief or lack of faith?

None of the above.

But there were many voices and many opinions. And all I could do is stand in agreeance with Job as he spoke these words:

Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. Job 13:15

Faith.

And in the midst of a series of storms blowing all at once through my life, like the cypress trees that line the coast of California, God helped me to set deeper root on the Rock. No longer secure, no longer unshaken — God was producing in me faith.

It wasn't until I understood the fourth verse of the infamous twenty-third psalm. Suddenly in juxtaposition to Job 13:15, in the light of the kind of faith it took Job to get from chapter one to chapter fourty-two, Psalm 23 came to life.

Say it with me:

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, 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.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

Amen.

So how exactly did the sheep go from the paths of righteousness to suddenly walking in the valley of the shadow of death?

Was it sin? Was it disobedience? Was it unrepentance? Was it disbelief or lack of faith?

None of the above.

Track with me. How did the sheep get into the valley of the shadow of death? The answer is in verse one of psalm twenty-three. If the Lord is my shepherd, what does that make me? A sheep.

What do sheep do? They follow the Shepherd. What was the Shepherd doing? Leading, of course.

So why did He take me away from green pastures, and still waters, and the paths of righteousness into the valley of the shadow of death?

Sanctification.

You see, as a home-grown California valley girl, I understand perfectly that the fruit grows down in the valley. I also understand that my God is not a stationary God; Jesus is a missionary God.

If the Lord is my shepherd, there's going to be a whole lot of moving and shaking to be done as I follow.

Psalm 23:1-3 are the portrait of my salvation. Oh thank you, Lord! Hallelujah. Justification. Just as if I had never sinned. Freedom from the penalty of sin to proclaim that Jesus is MY shepherd. He is MY deliverer. Oh how sweet indeed to be saved: it is the green pasture, the still waters and the paths of righteousness for His namesake. Calling on the name of Jesus and confessing Him as Lord couldn't be illustrated in a sweeter way. Holy redemption.

Psalm 23:4 is the portrait of sanctification. Oh, to be holy as You are holy, Lord God! It is the Shepherd leading away from the power of sin. This is why His rod and staff comfort us when we feel as though whatever it is we're going through as believers and followers of Jesus Christ during sanctification is like the shadow of death upon us.

No job suddenly? I feel like I'm dying. Broken heart? I feel like I'm dying. Health problems? I feel like I'm dying. Financial distress? I feel like I'm dying. Family problems? I feel like I'm dying. Marriage is falling apart? I feel like I'm dying. Loss of a loved one? I feel like I'm dying.

But you're not dead. You're alive in Christ. You feel like you're dying, but you don't die. Why?

Have you ever boxed your own shadow? Did the shadow win? Did the shadow hurt you?

Actually, it's called the valley of the shadow of death for a reason. It's not the valley of death; it's the valley of the shadow of death. Jesus Christ died on the cross. He tasted death. He then rose again three days later, alive — He conquered death so all we would ever have to face is the shadow. The story didn't end there, as you know, Jesus then ascended into heaven to make a place for us. Now we know the Way. Now we follow Him.

So as believers, we can embrace the truth of "whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life"… yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Sanctification. Free from the power of sin.

Passing through the valley will take a lifetime, but how sweet it will be to taste glory! Oh, and we will. It's called glorification.

Verses five and six of psalm twenty-three proclaim it and promise it. In His righteousness, we are blood-bathed and justified. Mercy triumphed over judgment and we have been set free from the penalty of sin.

In following the Good Shepherd, we are sanctified and set free from the power of sin. Grace is enough and His love covers a multitude of sin.

Being heavenbound means one day we will come before Him, and at last, we shall be glorified and set free from the presence of sin.

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Amen.