Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of ...



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Yea, 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.

There will be times in our lives that we will travel through this valley of the shadow of death. During these times we will feel all alone and forsaken; without hope and in despair. Our hearts will be broken, torn and heavy within us as fear threatens to overtake us and we have no strength left to fight. Like a huge flat valley with no water, trees or plants and steep mountains that surround us on every side or like one who gropes in the dark blackness, we will become overwhelmed and ready to give up because this place of desolation and pain is too much for us to endure because we see no way to escape it. It is in this humble, vulnerable place we walk through where we surrender our lives to our King whether we live or die.

Verse 4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,…

*1. What physical (and spiritual) action are we engaged in when we are in the valley of the shadow of death?

*Tip: The answer is in this part of the verse.

We need the element of faith, which God has already provided, to keep going forward when we are in the valley of the shadow of death. This means trusting God for the unknown with an acceptance in whatever His will is though the circumstances are far greater than we are able to handle in our limited abilities. Without leaning to our own understanding, we simply just let go and render ourselves to His will. It is not until we are faced with “this valley” that we discover the God given strength we are given to continue in this walk.

“'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts.”

Zechariah 4:6

…I will fear no evil…

2. What are we not supposed to fear?

3. Use the resources you have available to describe evil.

4. Read the account of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then examine Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the book of Daniel. Record how they “walked” when in their valley. What treasures can you glean from their testimony of fearing no evil?

Luke 22:39-43

Daniel 3:4-18

…For You are with me…

5. Read Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 and explain its meaning.

6. Where were Moses and Joshua going? Deuteronomy 31:7 How does this speak to you in whatever you may be facing?

We attain the promises of God by believing what God has already told us. Nothing can separate us from the love God and even if we are faithless, He remains faithful.

…Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

*7. What would be the purposes of our Shepherd’s rod or His staff?

*Tip: Find out, by using an encyclopedia, dictionary, etc., what the rod or staff is used for by a shepherd, and then compare it to how God uses it in your own life.

8. How could the information you acquired from the Shepherd’s rod bring you comfort?

2 Corinthians 1:3 says that the Father of our Lord Jesus is the God of all comfort. He is sufficient to handle anything that comes into our lives with the perfect blend of gentleness and power. Jesus suffered tremendous pain and suffering at the hands of evil men who were His own creation. He understands when our hearts are broken and hurting, when the diagnosis is cancer, when something horrible stops our lives and we enter a place where we feel we will never recover. God can and will help because He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother; He is willing and able to do far beyond what we know or think. Our part is to trust Him in circumstances we do not understand, not to assume we deserve anything and pray according to His will.

| |

|And at this time if, through |

|any peculiar trials, your heart is cast down within you and you are walking through the death-shade, I pray you to repeat |

|the words of the text and may the Lord help you to feel that they are true—“Yea, 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.” The words are |

|not in the future tense and, therefore, are not reserved for a distant moment. Do not postpone to the future that which |

|you so greatly need in the present. |

|Charles Spurgeon |

9. What surrounds the believer who puts his trust in the Lord? Psalm 32:10

“It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places.

He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”

Psalm 18:32-34

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|“Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it is God’s not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often is to look forward to it. The|

|Lord will provide.” |

|Elisabeth Elliott |

|Secure in the Everlasting Arms |

|Pg. 136 |

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