Yea, 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.
Psalm 23:4
As a boy, I lived on a long, winding street in Portland, and walking home from basketball games in the winter -- when it was cold, dark, and drizzly -- used to scare the dickens out of me. I was sure that behind every hedge and between every house was a bad guy, waiting to jump out. After all, there was an insane asylum at the end of the street, and every once in a while, one of the patients would break out and wander through the neighborhood. But I developed a sure-fire strategy.
First, I walked in the middle of the street. Then I would start to talk, using different voices, as if I were accompanied by a whole group of friends. "Hey Bill, how you doing?" "Well Fred, I'm doing well," I would answer myself. Lastly, and most importantly, I would run. Oh, it would start out as a hearty jog, but by the time I approached my house, I was going 100 miles an hour. I was scared to death.
You know, as a kid, those winter-night journeys down that street were "the valley of the shadow of death" to me. Sure, I had my "strategy," but I hated being alone, and I hated running in fear. So I've always found it interesting that David, in Psalm 23, says, "I walkthrough the valley of the shadow of death."
He didn't run; hewalked. I couldn't imagine walking that dark street as a kid! But David never broke into a panicked run. He didn't try to protect himself; he wasn't afraid. In fact, he didn't even have a strategy! Why? Because David wasn't alone. God was not only with him, but was leading his way. David simply walked with God.
When we panic, it's our human nature to want to run. We want to protect ourselves, to rush to a place of safety. And when we are in dark places, we want desperately to see. But 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "We walk by faith, not by sight."
You see, we must learn not to run out ahead of God simply because He's not visible. We must learn to patiently walk with Him, step by step, moment by moment, even when we're scared and every fiber in our body says, "Run! Run away!"
God wants to lead us "through the valley of the shadow of death," and to comfort us. He wants us to learn to trust Him, even when all we see is darkness. But we must learn, as David did, to walk with Him.
Maybe you're experiencing your own "valley of the shadow of death," and you're fearful -- you don't know what will happen next. Maybe it's a financial problem, or a family issue, or a situation at work. And maybe you just want an escape. You are not alone, and you don't need to run in fear. Let God take you by the hand and walk with you. Let Him guide your every step, knowing that He can see everything, even when you see nothing. Let Him wrap His arms around you today and comfort you with the perfect love that casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). Rather than running yourself into the ground, surrender yourself, and let God mend that which is broken.
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).
Fair Use Notice
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.
‘Your Devotion with Emotion’
This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them. Jesus is Coming Very Soon.
“the simple format”
Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give” Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do.LastCallDigest@michaeljamesstone.com
Last Days of the Last Generation “Last Generation”
The simple format “the prophecy site just about prophecy”
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.
