WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY
Psalms 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me
High on Skinner Ridge in NW Colorado you could walk out on some cliffs and see Brush creek, 1000 ft below. My dad had been on this ranch years before and had told me he had gotten within a couple hundred yards of the creek further upstream. He told me that he could see trout swimming around through his binoculars. Now several years later I was high on the ridge determined to get down to the creek with my fly-rod.
I had a day between groups of bowhunters that I was guiding and decided to get a meal of trout. I started down and the first couple hundred yards weren't so bad. Eventually I got where I could see the creek far below. I kept going, picturing cutthroat trout that had never seen a fly and already tasting their succulent meat.
The last couple hundred yards I was sliding and grasping for anything that I could get ahold of. After a couple hours of the best fly-fishing of my life, it was hands and knees all the while grasping for brush all the way back out. That was one of the prettiest and deepest valleys I had ever been in... and it was some of the hardest climbing I've ever done. But it was worth it
The passage above is taken from the 23 Psalm, which is probably quoted about as often as John 3:16.
In this verse, the psalmist didn't say, "if" I walk through the valley but, "even though I walk through the valley"... I can guarantee that there WILL be valleys in life and some of those valleys will be deeper than we think that we can dig out of, but God has promised to bring us out of those valleys and back to the mountain top where His glory shines.
In the bottom of most of the valleys there is fertile soil and things grow well there. So it is with you and me. When we're in the bottom of a deep valley we can grow much better than when we're on a mountain top.
The second half of verse 4 says, " I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.". When we are in those valleys we can rely on God to protect us, comfort us and protect us!
Aristotle Onassis once said
"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.".
When I climbed out of the deep valley of Brush Creek the sun was already starting to set. The valley was getting dark quickly. When I got to the ridge above the light still shown brightly. Remember, as we come out of the tough valleys of life that the light that we see is the shining presence of our loving God. Rest and rely on HIM.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. " Isaiah 41:10
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