Daily Devotional – 9/29/17 “I may be in the valley …”

I may be in the valley but I shall not fear. Sometimes on this journey, you will find yourself in the valley feeling like David when he describes walking through the valley of the shadow of death in Psalm 23:4. In other words, a dark place that has you hedged in, looking as if there is no way out. No matter what you try, the darkness, within you, seems to get darker and you feel more and more defeated. You try to pull yourself out, only to slide back down to the bottom without the strength to try again. However, here’s what I learned walking through this valley of the shadow of death … there has got to be some light somewhere. Which means, even though it looks dark and although it looks like I may be defeated; there’s some light somewhere. For I’m not walking through the valley of death but the valley of the shadow of death. Signifying to me, the shadow can’t do me any harm. Think about it. When has a shadow hurt you? This is why the bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:54, “Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” When this dying body have been transformed by the renewing of your mind, death is swallowed up in victory. Allowing you to walk through this valley of the shadow of death without being harmed, losing your mind nor your rightful place in destiny.

Yes, you may be in the valley of the shadow of death. You may be facing some stuff and it feels like you will not survive. The hedges surrounding you feels as if they are starting to close in. You’re suffering in the valley. You are hurting, in the valley. And you are by yourself but hold on beloved because David goes on to say in b part of Psalm 23:4, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Even when I am face to face with evil, I will not fear because my Shepherd, Jesus, is near. And when the shepherd in near, the sheep do not perish. Jesus tells us in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” All you have to do is wait until Jesus, the Shepherd, calls your name to come out and you will because the bible says in John 10:1-4, “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” I may be in the valley but I’ll listen for the voice of my Shepherd to rescue me.