The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Psalm 23, verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me…”

During Lent, we ought to reflect on all the things that Jesus accomplished on the cross for us. One such thing is victory over death; not only physical death but spiritual death as well. Through the fall of Adam we inherited spiritual death, that is, separation from God. Jesus came, died on the cross and became the means by which we may be reunited to our loving Father. It is a journey that we must all experience if our relationship with God is to be restored.

Know that Jesus walks with us on this journey. Sometimes He takes us up to the mountaintop and other times down into the valley, where we can deposit our brokenness, our wounds, our un-forgiveness, our hurts, our sins, our anger, our sorrows, and our pain. This valley is a place of darkness but walking through it with Jesus, His light illuminates the way and causes us to see the truth of the cross. We no longer see our fallen existence which brought death, we now see the shadow of what was once our reality, and we recognize that in Christ, the reality that God reveals is Life.

The valley of the shadow of death is a place we must all pass through on our way to closer communion with God. God has already prepared the table for those with whom He is in fellowship (see verse 5). Do not be afraid of the evil that lurks in the valley, it’s only a vague reminder of what once was. Jesus has destroyed the reality of death (see 2 Timothy 1:10) and now only its shadow remains, and, shadows can cause no harm.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death ©2013 Shelley Johnson