Psalm 23:4

 Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

  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.  

  Remember in verse 3 the LORD is my shepherd, and we lie down in green pastures and peaceful waters.  Now, in contrast to this we are walking through the "valley of the shadow of death". A more dark and threatening place than the green pastures and peaceful waters.  Here is a question for you---could the valley of the shadow of death mean dying without God? 

  BUT,  yes, there is a BUT----I will fear no evil!   How can you in a threatening place, possibly a life threatening place have no fear?

  Because, yes, BECAUSE WHAT?  Thou are with me----who is thou?  Thou is our shepherd, the good shepherd, the great shepherd - Jesus (God).    Knowing God is with you always, in the depths of tragedy or the heights of glory, God is with you.  This should give you confidence and let fear flee from you.

   Thy rod and staff comfort me.  What is a rod?  A rod was considered a short club like object designed to protect the sheep from predators.  The staff was a long thin pole designed to guide, lead, and keep the sheep headed where they needed to go.

   Could we consider the rod the word of God and the staff as the Holy Spirit who guides and directs us to keep us going in the right direction?  To me, this is what is being said.

   In knowing this, we should all take comfort in our relationship with God and knowing HE is constantly by our side, willing and wanting to guide us.  Let me know what you think.

   Later this week, Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16.  We will finish Psalm 23 before moving on.  Thank you for reading. Love y'all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny