"Yes, even though I walk through the valley . . . ."

"Yes, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear any evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

Leaving the tranquil world of green pastures, quiet waters, restoration and paths of truth, the Psalmist moves to the turbulent and painful experience of death. He mentions the "valley of the shadow of death".

Why a valley? A valley is a low spot in the topography of the earth. To get to a valley, you walk downhill.

Why a shadow? In order to see a shadow, one must have a light source and an object; something that gets in the way of light. Have you ever walked through an exceptionally dark place? There's a phobia associated with such a place, and you want to get out of there!

Combining the valley and the shadow, two good metaphors, we have the low experience and the absence of light one feels at the time of the loss of a loved one.

I will not be afraid - Fear makes people worry and lose sleep. David knew what fear was. For several years King Saul and his soldiers had hunted him like a wild animal. David had come close to death a number of times. But his triumphant statement was that he would not be afraid of evil.

For You are with me - He, the LORD, has done several things for the sheep, in verses 1, 2 and 3. Now the Psalmist shifts from "He" to "You". I have no fear of evil, for You are with me. Jesus has been by our side during the walk, so there's no need to fear. When on earth, Jesus' oft-repeated words were "Do not fear; don't be afraid" because He was there. The Source of light is still there! God's presence is close - we are not alone; that's why there's no need to fear.

Many of us have walked through this valley - we've lost a loved one to death. The experience has been low and it has been dark. But notice that the Psalmist walks through this valley - he doesn't stay there; there's an exit, a way out. He anticipates both walking out of the valley and walking into the light on the other side of the valley.

The Shepherd's rod and staff bring comfort to David. Why was this?

There were two ends to the staff of the middle eastern shepherd. One end had a crook (a bend or hook), that was used to guide the sheep. The shepherd would place this end of his staff over the sheep's head and around its neck and guide it where he wanted it to go. In this way, he was able to train and restrain a sheep.

The other end was the straight part, or rod, used to defend the sheep against predators. The shepherd could skillfully beat off the enemy with his rod.

David saw the Good Shepherd as his guide and defense, hence the comfort.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the One who walks by our side when a loved one dies. He guides us along the road of life. He defends us against our enemy. Are you comforted by His presence today?

"He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:3b

This is the second part of verse 3.

He leads me - This implies that I have the choice to follow. If you want to really live life, then follow the Shepherd. His path is a better one than that of our own making - His ways are so much higher than ours (see Isaiah 55:9). Jesus tells the story of a sheep that didn't follow, but went another way and got lost - see Luke 15:1-7. The story has a happy ending though, thanks to the shepherd who went out to look for the lost one.

In the paths - A path is formed as many feet walk along a specific route. Perhaps you've been hiking along a marked trail and noticed, at a switch-back, how somebody once took a shortcut, instead of following the trail. Other feet followed, and a path has formed, where one was not intended. Eventually, the Park Ranger has to drive fence poles into the ground across the path of the shortcut, and post a sign saying "Keep to the marked trail."

Over the centuries, so many "sheep" have followed the Shepherd, that there is a well-defined path; and He is walking in it, going ahead of the sheep, leading. We are safe as we walk in the path with the Shepherd.

Notice the plural (paths) - there is more than one path. As the shepherd takes the sheep to different areas during the day, so there are many paths, but all for a purpose: to get the sheep to the specific destination, whether it be grazing, watering or the sheepfold.

This is not to say there are many ways to the Kingdom, for Christ said of Himself "I am the way …" (John 14:6), but rather that people from all walks of life have become followers of the Shepherd. (It's like the fish; "some of every kind" mentioned in Jesus' parable in Matthew 13:47). He calls His sheep from all peoples of the Earth.

Of righteousness - The Psalmist is not talking about ordinary paths. This is not the hustle-and-bustle of our daily lives. The paths of righteousness are the ways of obedience - doing what is right. He uses the plural (paths) to indicate different ways of obeying Jesus. Here are just a few: surrender (giving self to Him - we all battle with this one!); communication with Him; following in the way He directs.

For His name's sake - Why does He lead me the paths of righteousness? So that He will get the glory. It's for the sake of His name. Rev19:11 tells us His name is "Faithful and True."

Do you want Jesus to lead you through this day?

He restores my soul … " Psalm 23:3

Today's verse is the first part of verse 3 and is composed of only four words. We will look at each word, and then summarize by assembling the mosaic.

He - there is only One who can restore my soul - He is the Shepherd, the LORD of verse 1.

Restores - the Hebrew word is rich in meaning: to bring back; to bring home again; to build again; to recover; to refresh; to relieve; to rescue. Wow! Each of these words is applicable when the Psalmist talks about soul-restoration.

My - this is personal. The Psalm is written about me, about you.

Soul - the Hebrew word means a breathing creature; it is used in the sense of body and mind; also person, or self. Our breath is our life. Have you ever had your breath knocked out? For a few moments it's a scary experience. Then your breathing is restored to normal, much to your relief.

Let's assemble the mosaic:

When I've tried every other avenue of replenishing my exhausted body and mind, to no avail, I learn by experience that the Good Shepherd is the only One who can rescue me from the miserable situation in which I find myself.

He refreshes the fatigued fabric of my being.

He helps me to recover what is lost - to breathe again.

He re-builds the ruins of my broken-down system.

He carries me home again on His shoulders. It's good to be a sheep!

In this rapid-paced life with all of the stress, deadlines, financial and personal worries, we need soul restoration.

Think about where you are at present: if your very self is collapsing and you're stressed out, if your legs have given way and you need support, if you are broken down and need re-building again, or if you need to be brought home again - call to Him - He'll come and get you, right where you're lying. Spend time with Him - this is how He restores the soul. After all, He is an Expert with sheep!

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters." Psalm 23:2

Today's verse is the beginning of a list of seven things that the LORD, our Shepherd does for us.

Firstly, He 'makes me to lie down.' This is not the same word as 'forces' - it implies that the shepherd allows the sheep to rest when they are weary. He notices that they need rest, so he takes them to a place where he sits down, and the sheep gather near Him to rest.

When you've had an extremely busy day, it's so good to lie down on your bed at night and start to relax! We need to take time to escape the busyness of the world, and lie down near the Shepherd. Note that this rest is for the individual, as well as for the group - usually the entire flock lies down in the field together.

Also, nothing is mentioned of immediate food in the Psalm. The first thing sheep usually do, after spending a night in the sheepfold, is to find grazing. But, by using the phrase 'lying down in green pastures', the psalmist implies that the sheep have already grazed and are content to lie down.

Note: they lie down in green pastures. Food is all around them - there is no shortage (which points us back to verse 1: "I shall not lack.")

The term 'green' indicates fresh, new grass. The Shepherd always feeds us with fresh, living food, indicative of the meal we have from His word.

Secondly, 'He leads me beside the still waters.' The shepherd leads; the sheep follow. If they don't, they stray and are lost or in danger.

Still waters: here's a picture of peace - let your mind form a picture. The sheep drink from pools, where the water is still. Still waters - symbolic of calmness, serenity and sanity!

Are you willing to let the Good Shepherd lead you into this new day; to give you rest when you are weary, and cool water when you thirst?

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

Our verse today is the first verse of what is known as the Shepherd's Psalm. Only nine words, but incredibly rich in meaning.

The LORD

(when written in the Bible in upper-case letters) is the self-Existent, Eternal God, Jehovah. He depends on no-one else; His creatures (that's us) depend on Him for every breath we take.

The shepherd, in the Middle-East is everything to the sheep. He comes to get them at the start of the day. He calls them from the sheepfold, where they have spent the night in safety. They hear his voice and follow Him instinctively.

David wrote this Psalm. He knew every aspect of shepherding sheep. He noticed how dependent the sheep are of the shepherd - for food, water and safety. He saw himself as one of God's sheep, and, in the light of that fact, wrote the Psalm about himself. He had learned by experience that God had provided for him, and would continue to do so. All he had to do was follow as God went before, leading him.

We can put ourselves in his place, applying the words to ourselves. Because the LORD is my shepherd, I will not lack anything!

You can go into this new day, confident that nothing is going to come your way, except as it is providentially directed by the Shepherd!