“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.” (Psalm 23:4 KJV)
Notice that we walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death. It is not the “valley of death.”It certainly is not Death Valley in California where the average daily temperature is 112 degrees. The writer is also speaking in the present. Meaning it is happening now. It is as if the valleys are something which we cannot avoid. There is a reason for that.
Think about it. Who doesn't love the mountains? The views, the cool, refreshing air, and no mosquitoes! In ancient times both pagan and real worship were always in "high places," These “high places” are mentioned nearly eighty times in the Old Testament. The temple in Jerusalem was on the top of Mount Moriah. It was on a mountaintop where Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John “Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them.”(Mark 9:2 NASB)
“Transfigured” is from the Greek word “μεταμορφόω” (metamorphoō) which means to change into another form. This is much the same when a caterpillar goes into the cocoon and comes out a butterfly. We go to the cross as sinners and come away from the cross redeemed and forgiven. We go into the valley of the shadow of death with fear and we come out the other side protected and saved. We are new creatures.
As nice as mountaintops are, we live in the valleys below. Even Jesus refused Peter's request to set up shelters on the mountaintop to extend their stay. By their very nature, valleys can be darker with roads that have many bends and turns. Life in the valley has more unexpected twists and turns than life on a high place. We can't see as far or as clearly in the valley, a fact that makes us insecure, even fearful. It is for that reason that God promises to be with us in the valleys of our life. He promises to stand with us even in the valley of the shadow of death.
Breathe deeply of God's goodness on the mountaintop, but when we return to life in the valley, we can know without a shadow of doubt that God goes with us. There is nothing to fear in the valley where we live.
God is God of the mountaintop and God of the valley. This means that God is God on the mountaintop. But He does not stay there. He comes down into the valley to stay with us as the Shepherd and leads us to places of rest and safety. The focus is not the valley or the mountaintop. God calls each and every one of us in a personal way to focus on the Shepherd, the One who is with us.
David says “I will walk, I will not fear, and I will get through…” David did not say, “I walk IN the valley” but “I WALK THROUGH the valley.” That’s why David starts off this Psalm declaring, “The Lord is MY Shepherd.” He does not say “was” or “will be.” Our Shephard is alive in the here and now ready to protect and save. When life blows up in our face and God seems far away and distant, we are not looking for reasons. We need comfort. We don’t need some answers. We need someone. And Jesus does not come to us with an explanation of “why” or “how.” Jesus comes to us with His presence.”
The basic question is not whether we have many or few valleys in life. It is not whether those valleys are dark or not so dark. The question is how we respond to them. How can we get through? Trust in the Shepherd. Depend on Him. We go into the valley at one end and we come out the other end as different people. He is the God of the mountaintop and the God of the valley. Jesus was transfigured on top of the mountain, but He transforms us coming through the valley.
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