Communion With the Christ:: Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"....Amen..Psalm:23

These simple words have for generations brought comfort and assurances of the love of the Great God to many. Even to those who are not Christians are stirred with a sense of hope and even peace by these words.

Psalm:23 is probably one of the most highly recognized portions of Scripture. This Psalm is found on greeting cards, embroidery, it is found framed in the homes of many. It is woven into the fabric of culture, yet these words are more than just poetry, or quaint sentimentality, these words are powerful and convey to us much about the Great God.

It is written from the view point of the sheep, and that all our trust should be focused upon God as our Shepherd, but this psalm tells us that this is how God sees himself for each us, not just how we should see him.

Seasonal Cycle

In Israel there were seasons that dictated the care of a flock of sheep, if we understand the seasonal cycle, then the Psalm takes on even greater meaning for us.

When the spring of the year came the shepherd would lead the flock up to the high country to the place of warm, safe fertile pastures; we see this referenced in the opening verses of the Psalm, this is that place of green pastures where we find the sheep safe under the care of the shepherd.

This high country was a quiet peaceful place the grass was the best and the flocks would graze at their leisure. There were still waters to drink from and paths that were easy to walk upon all under the watchful eye of the shepherd. This is the place the flock wanted to be but could not stay.

As the Autumn of the year came, time would have arrived when the shepherd would begin to move the flock back down to the low lands, to home. The flock liked to stay there in the high country, in that safe place of ease and comfort, but the time would arrive to move.

The older more mature sheep over the years had become familiar with this cycle and they knew it was part of the life of the flock and all would be safe if they stayed near the Shepherd. The sheep were comforted by the shepherd's presence as he moved among them, however, this move to the lowlands would often bring disquiet the younger ones members of the flock.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death

As the flock moved down toward the lowlands and home they would pass through narrow crevasses and valleys, these passage-ways could be dark even at the noon time, footing was uncertain at times, there were false paths which would lead to nowhere. At times fall rains would cause sudden floods, which would fill ravines and sweep away some of the lambs who put themselves beyond the Shepherd's reach.

There would be, at times, hidden dangers hiding amidst the narrow paths in the dark crevasses often there were predators and bandits looking to devour or steal, they especially preyed on the young less mature lambs who might lose sight of, or worse, refuse to stay with the flock under the watchful care of the shepherd. Often some of the younger ones would either be spooked, or for reasons that are hard to understand would set out down one of the paths ways which led to nowhere only to be lost.

But the older sheep, who recognized that they had passed this way before, would stay close to the shepherd for they knew if they could see the shepherd everything would be alright and that they would be safe. The more experienced sheep knew the comfort of the shepherd's presence, that he would watch over them.

Passing through theses valleys was a transition point in the life of the flock as it made its way home. At home, there was everything the flock needed, full feeding troughs, shelter, protection; home was the completion of their seasonal journey. The shepherd knew the way and he knew how to get them where they needed to be.

The Shepherd

One of the things that a good shepherd would do was to stay closes to his flock, to be visible and move among them. The shepherd would never take his flock where he himself had not gone. The shepherd knew the way, he too had walked these paths, he knew how to get them home, that place where they need to be.

Life's Seasons

This is more than a quaint grazing ritual found among an ancient people in their animal husbandry, it is relevant for all people in all ages. It is for us today.

In our lives we all find ourselves in seasons, which at times we are in the high country, we graze in peaceful safe surroundings, we have all that we might want or need. We are at rest, under the care of our Lord, we, like those sheep want to stay in this place, but, like the flocks in ancient Israel seasons change, the peaceful summer draws to an end and the shepherd begins to move us.

We want to stay in that peaceful high place, but we can't.

Transition

As change comes, we find that all of us pass "through the valley of the shadow of death" on our way home, or to that place the shepherd needs us to be. We take those words "through the valley of the shadow of death" so literally, that is, as meaning death its self; but we can understand it better for what it was in the life of the flock as a point of transition on the way home. It was in that transitional point, that "valley”, where hidden dangers would emerge, especially for those lambs who were easily spooked or would not stay close at hand.

This teaches us that when we face times of change in our lives, that is transition, there are dangers that can be found in the shadowy crevasses such as bandits or predators might emerge and attempt to steal us way, or that dead-end paths which might entice us, these paths way may appear to lead somewhere but may take us only to disaster and lead to nowhere, or if we are not staying closes, we could wonder off and be taken by wolves or fall into some known pit.

This teaches us that in times of transition and change in our lives, individually and collectively, we need to be able to see our shepherd, that is , if we keep him in plain view we will be staying with the flock, because that is where our shepherd will be.

Shepherd With Us

These times of transition, "the valley of the shadow of death" is nothing we should fear, or to be fearful of. The predators and bandits who might wish to exploit times of change in our lives as opportunity to devour us will be kept away if we stay close to our shepherd Jesus Christ. We can say " I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me"

Jesus Christ the great Shepherd is with us. This Shepherd which oversees our lives on our journey to the places he wants to take us. Jesus is among us and walks with us. Jesus has the ability to protect us and knows the way for our Lord Jesus Christ himself has walked these paths himself.

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep." Jhn: 10:11

This good Shepherd has proven his willingness to die for each member of the flock, that is all of us; and Jesus did so willingly, not forced or compelled, but freely out of love for each of us all so we all could be with him for all eternity.

"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again"Jhn: 10:17

Jesus died and is resurrected so that we might come to know the great God. Jesus came and walked through "the valley of the shadow of death" of this human life. Jesus knows the way home, that is, to the place where he wants us to be, and he will get us there, but we need to keep Jesus always in view.

As we pass through cycles of life and mature, we come to see this, that Jesus will faithfully walk with us in these transitions of life and is with us and he will get through them to where he needs us to be.

A Table Prepared

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

The table speaks to us of the celebratory joy and bounty we will experience after we pass through times of change and transitions under our Lord's care. The table is that place of belonging and fellowship, of being sustained and honored. It is not just for some day beyond the confines of this life but even here and now upon the Earth.

It is will be worth the journey to that place, to be home, where we will be safe and secure, anointed by the Holy Spirit with healed minds and spirit, gathered together and the blessings that are conferred will be eternal.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"

Home Forever

There will come point when we all will pass one last time "through the valley of the shadow of death" that one last transition, one that our Lord went through as well, that is of death. Jesus has passed even through this dark valley.

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Heb: 2:9

Jesus knows the way home. Remember that the Shepherd never took the flock where he himself had not been. Jesus knows the way home and if we will but keep close, he will see to it that we all pass one last time through that "valley of the shadow of death" and be always with Jesus in his eternal home."and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"....

Benediction: May we each and all, stay ever close to the great Shepherd until we all arrive in the house of the Lord, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.