Real Hope: Psalm 23Sample

The Light That Leads Us

Psalm 23 starts with David’s encouraging words of great blessing and provision. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

And then he says rather distressing words that indicate he is going through a very trying time. 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. It’s a valley of the shadow (of death) that David is going through, not the valley of death. Shadows can’t hurt you – the shadow of a dog can’t bite you; the shadow of a knife can’t stab you. They can only threaten you, not destroy you. And shadows are only possible if there is light – and Jesus is the ‘Light of the world’ that lights our way through the valley of the shadow.

Recently, I was speaking on this in Western Europe to a group of refugees from the war in Ukraine. A woman was looking at me intently with tears running down her cheeks. When I talked of the ‘valley of shadows’ the tears were still flowing but she was smiling. She told me that she had witnessed appalling atrocities in their escape that still haunted her but that my simple message had given her the answers she was looking for. She said, ‘My problem was that I was looking at the terrible shadows, now I’m focusing on the Light, and He will lead me out of this valley.’

So, stay close to Jesus when you’re going through times like these and remind yourself that you can’t be destroyed by shadows. Keep your focus on the Light not the shadows.

Written by DAVID SMETHURST