The Valley of the Shadow of Death

You all know the verse from Psalm 23:4

"Yea, though I walk though 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."

I've been thinking about death a lot over the past several days, and whenever I do, this verse keeps coming to mind. I've always thought of that imagery of the valley of the shadow of death as representing difficulty, fearful times or impending danger. But recently, I've taken a new perspective.

Every one of us is going to die. There is no escaping it. We are all born once, and we all die once. (Heb 9:27) Admittedly, there are some of us who will be alive on the day that Christ returns, and I suppose that technically those will not experience physical death, but will instead be changed. (1 Cor 15:51)

You could in fact say that we all live every single day of our lives smack dab in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death. Even on days when the world is awash with delight and brightness, still the shadow of death hangs overhead. We might ignore it or refuse to acknowledge the reality of it, but eventually it will become impossible to brush aside.

Just so you know, I'm not feeling morbid about death, just serious and reflective about it.

For the Christian, death shouldn't be frightening or dreaded. It should be seen as the beginning of real life, life in perfect union and fellowship with God, who is the author and creator of all life. This world, with all of its wonder and beauty, is still stained and imperfect. What is in store in a world free from the blemish of sin is hard for me to even imagine. But I know it will be wildly superior to this world.

What IS scary is the idea of those I love dying and leaving me here. That thought, I will admit, causes me some anxiety. But my own death, that is not a scary thought at all.

It might be a long while before it happens, and I certainly don't mean that I want to quit this life. I have so much to live for, so many things I want to do and see still. But I realize that all of those expectations pale in comparison to Heaven.

Grief and sadness at death are for those who are left behind here. Those who have gone on, if they belong to Christ, have nothing whatsoever to grieve over.

So while there is nothing we can do to prevent the shadow of physical death from hanging over our heads, that doesn't mean it must be a terrible thing. Real, everlasting, perfect, rejoicing life begins on the other side.

Matthew 4:16

"The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned."

Isaiah 60:19-20

"The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the LORD will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall end."