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.

       Let’s face it. At the “end of the day” each and every person faces death. There’s no escaping it. Psalm 23:4 speaks of the valley of the shadow of death, which is why this Psalm is read at so many funerals.

       However, this Psalm is not for those who have died, but rather for us who are still living in this desolate, present evil age. There are lots of enemies that are after God’s sheep. The devil hates the Good Shepherd, and therefore he despises His flock too. As the Bible says:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 ESV)

       He is the enemy of all enemies. All evil and evil ways support the devil’s goals. His goal is not to make life difficult for people. Rather, his goal is to take the sheep away from the loving care and safety of the Shepherd. His goal is to devour them—ripping, tearing, and shredding apart God’s sheep.

       As humanity travels through this world and in desolate places, there’s the Good Shepherd. And what do shepherds do for the sheep? Well, first of all they lead them. This means that the shepherd walks ahead of his flock to keep an eye out for danger, and to make sure they stay on the right path. The shepherd is also behind the flock poking and prodding them to get a move on. In addition, the shepherd will flank the flock to keep them together so that they don’t get separated and thus, vulnerable to becoming lunch for some animal.

       Nevertheless, we’re sheep and sometimes we fall off the ledge or into a hole becoming vulnerable to beasts of prey. The Good Shepherd is there to rescue us with His staff. The shepherd’s staff has a crook on the end that the shepherd uses to hook the stranded sheep under the armpits and lift it out. This is the gospel, because when we fall into sins, the loving Shepherd comes to rescue us and bring us safely back into the fold. ^[1]

       The rod and staff were also used by the shepherd to ward off animals who would prey on the sheep. This meant hand-to-claw—and teeth—combat where the shepherd would literally put his life on the line to protect his sheep.

       Jesus did this for you on Calvary. The Good Shepherd went head-to-head with the devil himself. It appeared that the Good Shepherd had lost the fight. But the fight wasn’t over yet. Three days later the Good Shepherd rose and stepped out of the valley of death and darkness. He conquered Satan, that prowling lion seeking whom he may devour, and now Jesus leads you through any valleys the devil puts in the way.

       What are the valleys of shadows that concern you? What are the enemies that lurk therein—hopelessness, helplessness, defeat? What are the things at the end of the day that you’re afraid of? The Good Shepherd is there with you—in the front leading you, in the rear prodding you along, and on the side flanking you from your enemies.

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^[1] Hans-Joachim Kraus, A Continental Commentary: Psalms 1–59 (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1993), 308.