Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Shepherds will move their flocks from pasture to pasture and will take the route of the valleys to reach the highest mountain top. This is because the valleys are the well watered route. In the valleys it is a difficult path… a sheep would not make it without comfort and guidance from a good shepherd…Often the path is so narrow that the shepherd must press the staff on their sides to encourage them to keep straight. If each sheep does not totally trust the shepherd then they will fall. A lot of sweat and tears are shed for both the sheep and the shepherd whilst in the valleys. It is during these times that the relationship between a Shepherd and a sheep deepens and the sheep learns to trust on another level.
We will face trials and tribulations on our journey through this life. Often we go through valleys/ testing times that are painful and difficult. But we have the assurance that Jesus is guiding us and will comfort us. In the valleys we realise that we cannot overcome in our own strength and we learn to put our trust in the Lord. We must praise God during our valley experiences because our Shepherd is taking us to higher places… Valley experiences grow our character and deepen our relationship.
When in the valleys we can’t think straight and our perspective is warped so we are forced to learn to draw close to our Lord and completely surrender. Valley experiences equip us for the future.
I love this quote by Corrie Ten Boom: “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”
A shepherd uses a rod to correct wayward sheep… sheep that are in danger. When a sheep is too close to the edge of a cliff or about to eat poisonous weeds the shepherd will hurl that rod in front of the sheep so that it comes scurrying back to the shepherd away from that danger. The Shepherds rod is handled with such care and total accuracy, never injuring the sheep.
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
The Rod is used by a Shepherd to protect wayward sheep. It is thrown through the air with precise accuracy to scare sheep away from danger. The rod signifies the word of God, which corrects us when we go astray. It keeps us from confusion amid chaos and accurately guides us to safety.
The staff signifies the spirit of God. The shepherd uses the staff to rescue sheep, usually from their own stupidity. Sheep will often get tangled and trapped in brambles and the more they struggle to set themselves free, the more trapped they become. The staff reaches in and the sheep is drawn back into the shepherd’s care.
How often have we experienced making mistakes and getting ourselves into stupid situations again and again? …and yet we are forgiven and restored by our Lord.
Learn from life’s experiences and take comfort in Christ, knowing that His word and the holy spirit will guide us and keep us from making the same mistakes again and again.
Lucy Kelsall 