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PSALM 23:4 “YEA THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR NO EVIL; FOR THOU ART WITH ME; THY ROD AND THY STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME.” (KJV, NKJV, ESV, NASB)
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” (NIV, NLT)
All of the historical and geographic references to the “valley of the shadow of death,” refer to a well-known valley between Jerusalem and Jericho known as the “Wadi Qelt (pictured above).”
“For thousands of years, travelers between Jerusalem and Jericho have followed the 17 mile long path through Wadi Qelt, facing danger from falling, wild animals, and thieves hiding in its many caves. By the time of Jesus, the Romans had built a road through Wadi Qelt that became the setting for the only parable of Jesus tied to a specific geographic location. The traveler rescued by the Good Samaritan had been beaten by thieves and left to die by passing countrymen along this dangerous road to Jericho, a road so well engineered that it is still used by tourists today.
“Shepherds can still be seen above Wadi Qelt, leading their sheep and goats along paths worn into the hillside by countless earlier shepherds. The shepherds still guide their flocks along these paths with their rods and still lead them to the calm, spring-fed waters of the Wilderness.”
Whether David was remembering this path of danger when writing this verse or not is probably far less important than the imagery his words give us of many of the impending dangers of life. Of course, greatest among these has to be our inevitable appointment with our own death.
Most likely, the greatest reason the ultimate demise of every one of us is so fearful is because it is beyond the experience of anything we have known our entire lives. Our hearts beat, our lungs breathe all without our conscious involvement. We learn to think logically, exercise methodically and develop good (or bad) habits by choices and routines. At the last breath we each take, however, that all seems to cease.
Without the Good Shepherd with us, we seem to want to “not go gentle into that good night.” In Dylan Thomas’ famous poem, we are encouraged to “rage against the dying of the light,” as if, when this life is over, the lights go out…all we experience is darkness. Is it any wonder men have feared “the valley of the shadow of death” for millennia?
The wonderful news, of course, is that with a relationship with the Good Shepherd, Jesus promises that in my step from this life to the next, He is with me! Immediately after my last breath on this earth, I breathe my first, sweeter breath in heaven. Jesus meets me right there! There is not darkness, but the everlasting light of His presence.
We begin eternity realizing that this brief seventy years or so here on earth was just a heartbeat compared to the rest of eternity. The trials that drag us down, the seemingly endless pain and suffering that sometimes comes with age make us think life is so hard and so long. We wake up in heaven to realize that time was actually, very short. If we remain faithful to Jesus to the end, it is obvious why the Lord says in Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”
Those who have experienced “near death experiences” and then returned often tell us of the great shining light of Jesus’ presence. I think we kind of find out that the dark, foreboding valley we expected to experience isn’t even there.
I remember the peaceful transition from this life to the next of my wife Cheryl as she moved into the presence of Jesus. I know that transition may not be as peaceful for me as it was for her. But I know I can look forward to seeing my Good Shepherd…the one who has so faithfully guided me for so many years here…face to face when that day comes.
I’m still learning about the “rod and staff” that comfort me so much. Sometimes, the rod is for me. I need correcting all too often. Most times, however, I know it keeps the enemy away, it protects me from attackers, it removes obstacles that seem to block my way from following Him.
I included the picture of the sheep in the photo above because I know I look that way some times. It is like the Shepherd called the sheep’s voice and he looked up and maybe thought, “what?” “I don’t quite know where I’m supposed to go or what I am supposed to do, but here comes His staff to show me and nudge me along the way.”
It will be the same when I ultimately face what I now think will be “the valley of the shadow of death.” He will nudge me in the right direction, I will maybe breathe my last painful breath here and move into glory that was no shadow or valley at all.
The old hymn said, “Oh that will be, glory for me.” I can actually look forward to that. “When by His grace I shall look on His face, that will be glory, be glory for me.” No fear, no anxiety, no dread. There He is, with His staff guiding me all along. I fear no evil because You are right there with me. What a glorious testimony.
Questions to consider: What do you fear about death the most? How can we be assured of the truth of the next life with Jesus when we have never seen it? Faith is so much more than wishful thinking that life everlasting is true. Why do so many in this life portray the death each of us must ultimately face as a deep, dark destiny that we must fear? What do you look forward to the most in the next life in heaven?
Other Scriptures to study: Psalm 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints," signifies that God deeply values and closely watches over the passing of His faithful followers. It highlights that their death is not trivial, but a significant, carefully managed moment bringing them into His presence. John 14:1-4, What did Jesus mean when He used the term “mansion?” Hebrews 4:9, “There remains therefore a rest to the people of God.”
Song to remember: “Death Ain’t No Big Deal,” Jake Hess, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzLUX2APCU4
 
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