The valley of the shadow of death

“Even 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
The 23rd psalm is one of the most well-known psalms, in both Christian and secular circles. It is also called the shepherd psalm, because in it David likens God to a shepherd guiding us, His sheep. We read how He provides for all our needs and guides us to a place of safety.
Today we focus on the fourth verse of this psalm: “Even 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.” What is the valley of the shadow of death? I have read that in Israel there is a certain wadi called the Wadi Kelt, which literally means the valley of the shadow. It lies between Jericho and Jerusalem, and is the main route by which shepherds would take their flocks from the Jordan river valley to the hill country of Judea. It has steep cliffs and many caves, and it is easy to get lost there. Bandits would hide in the caves and ambush travellers passing through (c.f. Luke 10:30). There is no vegetation.
Sometimes we can feel as if we are passing through a desolate place with potential danger around every corner. The heat is on, and we aren’t sure of the way to go. But it’s in those times that we need to stay close to our Shepherd. He comforts us with His rod and His staff. These were implements the shepherd used: the rod, to keep the sheep moving and pull them out of any holes they fell into; the staff, to fight off wild animals who might attack the flock. This is exactly what the Christian life is like. God will sometimes prod us with His rod to keep us moving. If we fall into sin, He will not leave us there but will seek to pull us out. When we face the enemy, we don’t need to fight him ourselves; we leave that up to God. Once we can grasp these truths, and keep our eyes fixed on the Lord, we realise that in life we have nothing to fear. He is big enough, and wise enough, to guide us in safety – even though the valley of the shadow of death.