Down in the Valley

In my childhood, I remember playing jump rope to a rhyme that started “down in the valley where the green grass grows.” It gives the picturesque view of a peaceful nature scene. I also grew up in a city seated in a valley, so I can attest to its beauty, especially in the spring and fall seasons. However, this valley in Psalm 23 isn’t one of beauty but of death and a threatening environment.

Every one of us will experience a valley in our lifetimes. It will be a spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical place of uncertainty in which we are besieged by fear, worry, or regret. “Even though I walk …” reveals that sometimes valleys can’t be avoided in our life journey. Sometimes in order to get to the place where God wants us, we have to go through the valleys.

Yet we don’t have to be afraid of dangers seen or unseen because God is with us in the valleys. He also provides His rod and staff, which comfort us in the valley. Having God’s presence and comfort in the deep valleys assures us that we will eventually come out of it. It’s a season of our life and doesn’t define our journey—we will get through it.

The valleys are necessary for us to grow up in the Lord. We lose our effectiveness as witnesses of God’s grace if we only have mountaintop experiences while everyone around us is in the valley. Our testimony of how God’s word comforted us and how He never left us will give power to our words.

Prayer

Dear Lord, when I’m in the valley, help me to rest in Your presence and comfort. Let me come out of the valley full of hope and encouragement to share with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In His Service,

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