Psalm 23 recalls the working of God to protect us and provide for us. David must’ve reflected back on days of his youth when he was a shepherd boy. This is a very personal song out of his own experience.
He relates to his own care for sheep like that of God’s care for us. Our Lord has been so gracious in so many ways. If anything, it is a reflection for how God provides for our needs. It is a parallel to that of Jesus reminding people about God’s provision for the beauty of the lilies that we never need to doubt about his love toward us.
There is one phrase in the Psalm that is been taken out of context to be used for what was not intended. God through David was not talking about dying or the afterlife. He was not saying that when we die, we are in a shadow of death. Actually, every person that can read this blog is living in the valley of the shadow of death. Think about it. Death is looming over all of us like a shadow. Similar to standing in the midst of the valley, we can look out and around to realize that every one of us will die eventually.
David says, “ though I walk…” A person who has already died is not walking through the valley. That Valley may be a place where healthy people walk. It can also be a place for the sick and afflicted to walk. It can be a place of sadness and fear. It can be a place of bewilderment. We are all walking through the valley while the threat of death is looming over us.
The Psalm says, “I will not fear.” We do not need to fear death if we know Jesus Christ as our Savior. It is a transition, a spiritual airplane, even a rocket ship that takes us to higher ground where we will be with the Lord forever. Most important of all is that the Lord is with us monitoring our waywardness and rescuing us from our injuries. Until death claims us, we will all walk through that valley of the shadow while his rod and staff comforts us. It is a true blessing that during his presence with us God watches over us and for us.
Throughout the Psalm God declared his presence with us. He itemized how he cares for us. This Psalm may seem dark considering the shadow of death, but actually we are reminded of the joy we can have because he anoints us. There may be times we feel hungry or thirsty or injured. These are noticed by God. In spite of what we may experience in this life he makes it possible that our cup can run over.
While we walked in this life knowing that death can claim any of us age at any time, the contrast against us walking through the valley is that his goodness and mercy follows us. He holds our future because that Valley is a temporary shadow. We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Christian Writer 