I will fear no evil……

“… Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”

I memorized this Psalm as a child, but today as I meditate on it, I see perhaps a new reality that as the Shepherd walks with me through my daily circumstances His plan is indeed to put to death my old nature!

It is my personal death to everything that does not reflect his character !

Yet I will fear no evil!!

He will never allow the death experience to destroy me!

What a paradox!

To die is to yield, to allow the gracious work of the Holy Spirit to do his work through the valley sojourn.

Elizabeth Elliot once said, “Where He leads me I will follow, and what He feeds me I will swallow!”

It is for God to orchestrate the valley experiences, it is for us to obediently follow, learning to yield, – to put to death   old prejudices, biased concepts, stubborn self righteousness, and those thoughts and attitudes known only to Him.

He invites us to ‘come and die, that we might truly live’.

The sheep knew the voice and leading of the shepherd, so also may we learn to listen and obey through our valleys to the Shepherd of our soul.