Thou Art With Me, Ps 23:4

Ps 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”.  Ever since the devil fell, death has loomed over God’s creation.  Death entered into the world when Adam sinned, Rom 5:12.  And in a sense, there are times that we go through valleys in life where the pangs of death take hold of us. 

David said that when he walked through the valley of the shadow of death he would fear no evil.  Why is this?  He said, “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”.  When you find yourself in the valley of the shadow of death, spiritually speaking, you don’t need to fear.  God is with you.  He walks with you when you walk through the valley.  You are not ever in there alone.

In Dan 3:25, the Son of God was walking with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the midst of the fire.  Notice, they had been thrown into the fiery furnace bound.  But when Nebuchadnezzar saw them, they were loose and walking.  And Jesus was walking with them in that fire.  And they were not hurt.

In Dan 6:22, Daniel told the king, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me…”.  Daniel was not in the lions’ den alone.  God’s angel, undoubtedly the pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus, was in there with him. And he protected him so that Daniel was not hurt.

In Acts 27:23 Paul said, “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve”.  On a ship, in the midst of that horrible storm, when all on board despaired of life, the Lord showed up.  Paul and the men on board weren’t not killed in the shipwreck.  God was there to guide them through to safety.

When you go through your valley of the shadow of death, don’t fear evil.  God is there, walking through the valley with you.  Look for him.  Don’t let the valley and the powerful emotions you feel in the valley scare you.  In prayer to God acknowledge, “Thou art with me”.  He is and he will shepherd you safely through the valley.