When the Lord is my Shepherd I have no want for courage

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me.” Psalm 23:4a

As we have seen the last few days, the greatest king the nation of Israel ever knew, David, pictured his relationship with God as that of a sheep to a shepherd. David placed himself in the position of a dependent, defenseless, and dumb sheep when he wrote in verse 1, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” When David trusted the Lord as his Shepherd, he had no want for:

– Rest because his Shepherd made him lie down in green pastures.

– Refreshment because his Shepherd led him beside still waters.

– Restoration because his Shepherd restored his soul when he wandered away from Him.ui

– Righteous living because his Shepherd guided him in the right paths.

Probably the most familiar verse in this Psalm is verse 4. When David wrote the words of this verse, he was probably thinking of an actual place in Palestine called the valley of the shadows or “the valley of the deep darkness.” This was a deep and dark ravine with steep sides and a narrow floor.

Notice how the beginning of verse 4 is related to the end of verse 3. David wrote in verse 3b, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” But then he goes on to say in verse 4a that one of the paths of righteousness that the Lord leads him in is “the valley of the shadow of death.” Early in the year in Palestine, the flocks graze in the lowlands. But as the summer comes and the hot sun melts the snows on the mountainsides, the shepherd leads his flock to better grazing on the mountains high above. To take the flock to this better land on which to graze, he must lead them through some dangerous and dark ravines.

On one side of the ravine, huge trees reach up to block out the sun, making noontime as dark as twilight. On the other side, a deep precipice leads down to a riverbed where the water foams and roars, torn by jagged rocks. Hidden in the shadows of the dark pathway are dangers such as poisonous snakes coiled to strikeand wolves or mountain lions ready to pounce upon a sheep to destroy it.

Yet the sheep go through this dangerous ravine of darkness because the shepherd has led them there. It took courage for a sheep to follow the shepherd through this dangerous ravine and the sheep gained courage by relying upon their shepherd. The sheep’s only safety lay in keeping close to the shepherd’s side and in obeying his commands.

What David is saying is that he had courage to go through the fearful experiences of life because he had a Good Shepherd Who led him into those experiences and Who would defend him from their dangers. Most of us may be afraid of tomorrow because of the coronavirus. Afraid that we may lose our jobs or keep them. We may be fearful of losing our health or loved ones. Afraid that government officials may make poor decisions. Afraid that our children may turn out wrong or if they grow up, that they may be blown up in a war. Afraid of disapproval or rejection. Afraid to live and afraid to die.

Where do you get your courage? Where do you get the stamina to stand up to life? For David, courage does not come from whistling in the dark or from believing that we can defend ourselves. As sheep, we are helpless to fight our enemies. The most courageous sheep in the world would be an easy meal for the smallest wolf or mountain lion.

As sheep, we need courage to trust our Good Shepherd. When a mountain lion comes to attack the flock or a wolf lurks close by, the sheep needs only to look up to be sure that the shepherd is near. Then it can go back to grazing. And that takes courage! We must learn that we cannot fight our spiritual battles by ourselves. We are just helpless sheep, and unless the Shepherd defeats our enemies, we will be found some place out in the desert of life, torn and bleeding. When we encounter the frightening events of life, we must learn to trust our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must turn the struggle over to Him and go back to feeding again. That takes courage; but it also gives courage.

As I read through this Psalm, I noticed the change of pronouns in the middle of these verses. In verses 1-3, David has been talking ABOUT the Shepherd. But suddenly in verse 4, David begins to talk TO the Shepherd. The Psalmist has changed his song from praise to prayer. When David felt the clammy hand of terror squeezing his heart, he wrote, “I will fear no evil; For You are with me.” When David thought about the rest, refreshment, and sunny green pastures, he talked ABOUT his Shepherd. But when he thought about the dark ravines in his life through which he had passed and through which he was sure to go, he spoke directly TO the Lord.

Are we any different? It is nice to talk about the Lord as long as things are in the sunshine. But when the darkness comes we no longer talk ABOUT the Lord, we talk TO Him. What are you going through today? What shadows seem to lie across your tomorrows? The Shepherd knows them all, and you can have courage as He leads you through the dark valley – if you trust Him. Talk to Him about your fears so that His presence can give you courage.

Death is the darkest valley that lies before us. We are fearful when our loved one goes through it and more fearful when we face it ourselves. Of all our enemies, death is not only the last, but the worst. We show fear by not facing up to death. We spend a lot of time thinking we won’t go through death. As our age climbs, we fight to push it back by going to hairdressers and health clubs, and by applying lotions and dyes. We try to disguise death at funerals with flowers and soft music.

In Revelation 1:17b-18, the risen and exalted Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am He Who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” The exalted Lord Jesus “laid His right hand on” the apostle John and commanded him, “Do not be afraid” because He is the eternal God (“the First and the Last”), the resurrected One (“I am He who lives, and was dead, and … I am alive forevermore”), and the One with authority over death and the dwelling of the dead (“I have the keys of Hades and of Death”). This same Jesus wants to give us courage to live triumphantly through His presence in our lives, both here and in the hereafter. Will you let Him?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, it gives me great confidence to know that as my Good Shepherd, one of the paths of righteousness that You lead me in goes through dark and dangerous ravines. I realize now that You do not abandon me in those dark places of life. You are there with me to give me courage and strength. My greatest safety and security is staying close to Your side. Right now I invite You into the places of my soul where fear has frozen my feelings and hardened my heart. Your loving presence casts out my fear. Thank You gentle and loving Shepherd for not leaving me or rejecting me when I am afraid. Please help me focus on Your powerful and loving presence today. You are in control of all that happens. My trust is in You my loving Shepherd to lead me triumphantly through the valley of the shadow of death. The battles I face today belong to You. My hope is in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.