I have been walking through a deeper, darker valley of the shadow of death lately.
I feel myself giving in to depression and despair, fear and anxiety.
I cannot see my way out, nor see the next step in front of me.
I do not want to travel the road that I am on.
I am feeling deeper and more intense pain from my loss.
I sit, unresponsive to this life that is moving on before me.
The pain is unbearable and unmanageable most of the time.
Nothing helps.
Nothing takes it away.
Nothing is working for me.
The unfair thing about my suffering is that I not only have to deal with the greatest loss of my life, but in conjunction, the avalanche of decisions, unholy emotions, and relational complications that come with my loss. I am overwhelmed at the magnitude of the storm raging around me. I cannot bear the weight of what is being heaped upon my shoulders. I am ruined.
Even so, In HIS Faithfulness HE reminds me of Psalm 23:4: "Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; You rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me."
My Questions:
So, I am not supposed to fear or dread this evil that is gaining, like a tsunami, powering over me and overcoming my feeble efforts to keep my head above the water?
I am not supposed to fear THAT storm?
And I am not supposed to fear or dread any of this evil because You, O God are with me?
And because I have trusted You with my life, You have promised to be with me, to protect me and to guide me when there is no sun shining upon my path enabling me to see where to go?
YES, sweet Kristin, YES!
HIS Word does have answers for me (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT), this I have known!
HIS Word is a Light shining down on my path, guiding me in the right direction (Psalm 119:105), this I have known!
And, though I am in this deep, sunless valley, I am here with HIM-the One who loves me dearly, this I know!
Those who do not believe in HIM and must walk the sunless valleys of this life, walk there alone. Yet, I have the privilege of walking with the One who knows all the days of my life before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). He knows the way out of this particular valley, and He alone can lead me to freedom from this darkness!
What other choice do you have when you are lost, in a deep, dark place where there is no light to guide you?
The only choice that I see is to cling tightly to HIM, and trust that HE will protect me from the evil of the darkness and guide me out of the present abyss into a place of peace and light.
I am only a sojourner here in this dark, sunless valley because the nature of my business here is temporary. I am only passing THROUGH this dark valley. I will emerge one day into the Light of the Son when I step into eternity-knowing HIM fully, as HE knows me fully (1 Corinthians 13:12).
TRUTH: I am passing THROUGH. The pains of this world are only temporary, and the glories of Heaven are eternal. Fix my eyes on what is to come!
These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of [God's] promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging and confessing that they were strangers and temporary residents and exiles upon the earth. Now those people who talk as they did show plainly that they are in search of a fatherland (their own country). If they had been thinking with [homesick] remembrance of that country from which they were emigrants, they would have found constant opportunity to return to it. But the truth is that they were yearning for and aspiring to a better and more desirable country, that is, a heavenly [one]. For that reason God is not ashamed to be called their God [even surnamed their God-the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob], for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16
I am WALKING through this valley. I am not running out of fear of the evil lurking there. HIS presence creates peace in my dark place. I have not been promised an easy life, but I have been given the opportunity at peace, HIS Peace, no matter where I am and what I am up against. Will I take HIM up on that peace?
TRUTH: I am WALKING, not running in terror. HIS Presence provides Peace!
I am also reminded that this is only the valley of the SHADOW of death. I am not up against death itself, nor will I ever be (eternal death-separation from God). I am confident in my eternal resting place and death has no sting on me (1 Corinthians 15:52-57).
TRUTH: This valley of death is only a SHADOW. There is no eternal power of death wielded over me here. To die is gain for this chick (Philippians 1:21)!
Fruit is produced in the valleys, not on the mountain tops. I am choosing to believe that HE has good planned for my life, even from this horrible mess (Romans 8:28).
TRUTH: I am assured and can know that God will work all things, even my dark valley, together for my good, because I love HIM and am called according to HIS design and purpose (Romans 8:28).
My valley may be sunless, but I am clinging to the Great Comforter.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement), Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
TRUTH: His Presence, His protective rod, and His guiding staff bring great comfort to me.
I can rest safely in HIS Arms tonight!
Tomorrow may bring another round of terror, but my eyes are fixed on HIM to protect and sustain me in the valley.
I feel myself giving in to depression and despair, fear and anxiety.
I cannot see my way out, nor see the next step in front of me.
I do not want to travel the road that I am on.
I am feeling deeper and more intense pain from my loss.
I sit, unresponsive to this life that is moving on before me.
The pain is unbearable and unmanageable most of the time.
Nothing helps.
Nothing takes it away.
Nothing is working for me.
The unfair thing about my suffering is that I not only have to deal with the greatest loss of my life, but in conjunction, the avalanche of decisions, unholy emotions, and relational complications that come with my loss. I am overwhelmed at the magnitude of the storm raging around me. I cannot bear the weight of what is being heaped upon my shoulders. I am ruined.
Even so, In HIS Faithfulness HE reminds me of Psalm 23:4: "Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; You rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me."
My Questions:
So, I am not supposed to fear or dread this evil that is gaining, like a tsunami, powering over me and overcoming my feeble efforts to keep my head above the water?
I am not supposed to fear THAT storm?
And I am not supposed to fear or dread any of this evil because You, O God are with me?
And because I have trusted You with my life, You have promised to be with me, to protect me and to guide me when there is no sun shining upon my path enabling me to see where to go?
YES, sweet Kristin, YES!
HIS Word does have answers for me (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT), this I have known!
HIS Word is a Light shining down on my path, guiding me in the right direction (Psalm 119:105), this I have known!
And, though I am in this deep, sunless valley, I am here with HIM-the One who loves me dearly, this I know!
Those who do not believe in HIM and must walk the sunless valleys of this life, walk there alone. Yet, I have the privilege of walking with the One who knows all the days of my life before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). He knows the way out of this particular valley, and He alone can lead me to freedom from this darkness!
What other choice do you have when you are lost, in a deep, dark place where there is no light to guide you?
The only choice that I see is to cling tightly to HIM, and trust that HE will protect me from the evil of the darkness and guide me out of the present abyss into a place of peace and light.
I am only a sojourner here in this dark, sunless valley because the nature of my business here is temporary. I am only passing THROUGH this dark valley. I will emerge one day into the Light of the Son when I step into eternity-knowing HIM fully, as HE knows me fully (1 Corinthians 13:12).
TRUTH: I am passing THROUGH. The pains of this world are only temporary, and the glories of Heaven are eternal. Fix my eyes on what is to come!
These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of [God's] promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging and confessing that they were strangers and temporary residents and exiles upon the earth. Now those people who talk as they did show plainly that they are in search of a fatherland (their own country). If they had been thinking with [homesick] remembrance of that country from which they were emigrants, they would have found constant opportunity to return to it. But the truth is that they were yearning for and aspiring to a better and more desirable country, that is, a heavenly [one]. For that reason God is not ashamed to be called their God [even surnamed their God-the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob], for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16
I am WALKING through this valley. I am not running out of fear of the evil lurking there. HIS presence creates peace in my dark place. I have not been promised an easy life, but I have been given the opportunity at peace, HIS Peace, no matter where I am and what I am up against. Will I take HIM up on that peace?
TRUTH: I am WALKING, not running in terror. HIS Presence provides Peace!
I am also reminded that this is only the valley of the SHADOW of death. I am not up against death itself, nor will I ever be (eternal death-separation from God). I am confident in my eternal resting place and death has no sting on me (1 Corinthians 15:52-57).
TRUTH: This valley of death is only a SHADOW. There is no eternal power of death wielded over me here. To die is gain for this chick (Philippians 1:21)!
Fruit is produced in the valleys, not on the mountain tops. I am choosing to believe that HE has good planned for my life, even from this horrible mess (Romans 8:28).
TRUTH: I am assured and can know that God will work all things, even my dark valley, together for my good, because I love HIM and am called according to HIS design and purpose (Romans 8:28).
My valley may be sunless, but I am clinging to the Great Comforter.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement), Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
TRUTH: His Presence, His protective rod, and His guiding staff bring great comfort to me.
I can rest safely in HIS Arms tonight!
Tomorrow may bring another round of terror, but my eyes are fixed on HIM to protect and sustain me in the valley.
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PS: I am not one of those people who says they will pray and forgets about you, or finds other things to do. You WILL BE in my prayers! :)