It may be anxiety or depression over the state of national or international affairs. It may be physical suffering, financial issues, loss of a job, a father who abandoned you literally or emotionally, a spouse who betrayed you, feelings of worthlessness, an addictive habit or a loved one with an addictive habit. As the new year dawns, spend some time discovering what “dark valleys” real or imagined, past or present shadow you. ♥ R ichard Foster says, “God becomes a reality when he becomes a necessity.” Dark valleys make God more real to us. Several popular translations of the Bible say that the rod and staff are used to “comfort me.” While God may not always use his power to keep us out of trials, his comforting presence will sustain us as we go through them.God was with him in the midst of his fears.” I noticed that the staff has a great hook on it – perfect for pulling me back from a bad decision or rescuing me from an action I will regret. Roper notes that “ shepherd was by his side, armed to the teeth, warding off his enemies and keeping him from wandering off the trail. They were used both to ward off enemies and to rescue straying sheep. The rod and the staff serve as instruments of protection and assistance.This more personal expression reflects the trust he has in his Shepherd. In verse 4 David switches to the more intimate second person: you are with me, your rod and staff protect me. In verses 1-3 David uses the “third person”: The Lord is, he leads me, he p rovides.This knowledge helped him see how much he himself was like a sheep and how he needed God to be his shepherd. As David Roper reminds us in Every Day is a New Shade of Blue, David knew that “he must think for his sheep, fight for them, guard them, and find them pasture and quiet ponds.” He cared for their bruises and rescued them from harm. He learned that his herd of sheep was helpless and defenseless, that they foolishly strayed from the flock, and that they needed constant provision and guidance. Psalm 23: 4 arose from David’s observations of the sheep he cared for.
Peterson, I have learned through daily recitation that Psalm 23 is the gift that keeps on giving! While I’m not as ambitious (or gifted) as Dr. And so you’re not really just emptying yourself, you’re emptying yourself of a certain amount of clutter so that the words you really need to know kind of fit in.” (to listen to the interview or read the transcript, click here.) But there’s enough going on through that first that it seeps into your imagination. During the first hour of each day, he studies the appropriate Psalm and then, he says, “I just breathe deeply and for another 15, 20, 25 minutes, just try to empty myself of everything. I n a recent radio interview Eugene Peterson shared that he has chosen seven long psalms, one for each day of the week, and then memorized each of them. I fear no danger because you are with me. “Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
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