Jesus - My Shepherd. Part 3

 "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."   Psalm 23:4    NKJV

YOU ARE WITH ME  -  Yahweh Shammah - The LORD is there  Ezekiel 48:35

What a comfort to know, without doubt, that Jesus our Shepherd is here with us, wherever we go. There really is no need to be afraid of anything, He is with us.

David changes his writing style at this point, making it personal. He is no longer speaking about the Shepherd but, to Him. God is not before him now, but beside him, things have changed. The Shepherd is still leading the way, but with a caring and calming manner owing to the delicacy of the surroundings - the dark valley.

The valley of the shadow of death represents any difficult situation, including death. Sheep are so easily scared in new or strange surroundings, especially when it is dark. The presence of the Shepherd has a calming affect on them. David is using his shepherding skills as a analogy to explain and reinforce the meaning.

We all go through very dark periods from time to time. Loss is probably the most stressful of all. When death comes along and claims one of our loved ones, words cannot be found to explain the grief we are suffering. There are many stages to navigate during this period and none of them are easy. But, notice that our Shepherd adjusts to our feelings; instead of being in front of us, leading the way, He chooses to walk beside us bringing a calming affect and offering support every step of the way. Yahweh Shammah joins us in the dark valley and brings light to the shadow of darkness.

You may be going through a terrible loss at this time. With the loss come many changes and they are difficult to negotiate. What was there originally, is no longer, just a deep void and, no matter what we do, it cannot be changed. Things can therefore, be scary and there may seem no point in anything. Just remember, Yahweh Shammah is with you, in fact, right beside you and He will take your hand through this storm and things will be calm again in time.

Don't try to get ahead of Him, He is where you need Him to be, at your side.

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