Even 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 – English Standard Version

Jesus is the Good Shepherd of our souls. Life will lead us through paths sometimes – sometimes quite often – where we cannot see or understand what’s happening. Our perception is broken down. We feel incredibly vulnerable and exposed. These are opportunities for significant dependence on the Lord. And he’s given us great encouragement to do so. Let’s look at the words of Psalm 23:4 together.

There’s a very helpful footnote on this first portion in the ESV; it reads:

“Or the valley of deep darkness.”

So, “even though I walk through the valley of deep darkness…” In the dark, we can’t see. In the dark is the place where fear begins to well up. In the dark, we have difficulty perceiving what surrounds us. In the dark, we may even lose our perception of the Lord. But then we move on to the next portion.

“I will fear no evil.”

It’s hard not to fear evil. It’s vile and unpredictable; it often causes damage and pain. But look at why we don’t fear evil. Because despite whether we sense the presence of the Lord or not, he is there. He has not abandoned us, regardless of what our senses may tell us. The Lord himself stands at the doorway of our lives as the Sovereign. He is ready to handle the evil that may come to us in our weakened state, in our valley of deep darkness. How do we know that he stands guard?

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

The point in this short line is an essential facet of this Psalm that’s often not talked about thoroughly enough. The rod of the shepherd is to defend the flock. The rod is used to fend off would-be attackers. The rod, then, reminds us that our Heavenly Shepherd stands at the ready to defend his flock with a mighty hand. So what about the staff? The staff is the typical shepherd’s hook that most will know as the tool of the shepherd. The shepherd uses the staff to keep his sheep on the right path. The hook is often used to rescue the sheep from precarious places they’ve gotten themselves into. Sheep are highly prone to wandering, especially in the dark. For example, if they fall into a ditch or over the side of a cliff. The shepherd can rescue the sheep from its compromising position using the shepherd’s staff. If you’ve ever played the Super Mario Kart video game, it’s like the little cloud that picks you up and puts you back on the track when you run off. The staff is representative of our Good Shepherd, keeping us on the right path. Knowing that we’re protected from evil and kept on the right path despite ourselves, even when our perception is darkened, should bring comfort. This truth is indicative of God’s divine providence in the life of a follower of Christ.

So what’s the big idea? The big idea here is that even though life at times will not make any sense at all. Sometimes this is often depending on the season. The Lord, our Good Shepherd, is faithful to defend us from our enemies and keep us on the right path despite our senses not being able to process what’s happening around us correctly. Take heart if life overwhelms you at times. When life is too much for our finite beings, the infinite Lord of the universe stands at the ready and is a very present help in our time of need. He is our rock and our refuge. When life is beyond your control, trust in that even though you may not sense his presence, he’s there standing watch as the Good Shepherd of your soul. This is a present, active, and intimate role that Jesus takes in the lives of the members of his flock.