Walking Through The Valley

No walk through the Bible on the subject of death or Heaven would be complete without a consideration of Psalm 23. This Psalm is perhaps the best known chapter in the entire Bible - to believers and unbelievers alike. It is quoted most often at funerals or in other situations where death is imminent. It provides assurance and comfort in the most difficult of times.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads 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 mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

For most people, and in most contexts, this Psalm is particularly poignant and comforting when contemplating one’s own death. Very often this is quoted to those facing a terminal illness or some other end-of-life experience. At least, that’s how I looked at Psalm 23 until faced with the sudden death of my son. Now, I have a different perspective.

Those of us who have undergone the traumatic death of a loved one feel that we are actually living in the “valley of the shadow of death.” In the beginning, our loss pervades nearly every waking moment. As time passes and we work through our grief, the darkness lifts just a little. My own personal experience, and those of others who have walked this road before me, confirm that the valley can last for years. How can we survive such a long ordeal?

This Psalm helps us a great deal. We affirm that the Lord is our Shepherd. What do shepherds do? They are in charge of the flock every moment; they protect, shield, guide, and nourish the individual lambs. And that, of course, is what the Lord does for us.

We remind ourselves that we are to fear no evil because God’s rod and staff are there for us. Despite our grief, we can live out the rest of our days with the assurance and confident expectation that at some point our cup will overflow again with many gifts of goodness and mercy from the hand of God. And best of all, we have the sure hope that we will dwell forever in the house of the Lord.

That’s the kind of message we need to hear when the shadows around us seem so dark.