MONDAY April 7th
Psalm 23:4
‘Even though I walk through 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.’
The final walk
Although I have given this the title ‘The final walk’, it isn’t the last in these few devotions, but rather a reminder of the final walk that we will make this side of eternity, and should the Lord tarry a walk that each of us will have to make, the walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But although it may not be a theme that we readily want to have our minds thinking about, because we know Jesus as our Saviour and in the context of this Psalm as our Shepherd, this the final walk will lead us into a glorious future, into the presence of God himself.
It is that final walk that will transition us from time into eternity, from all that would beset us, sickness, pain, suffering to a place of newness, wholeness and completion.
As Paul thought of these things, he was in a dilemma for he didn’t know whether it was better to die and to be with Christ or to remain living in this world and to continue to preach the gospel, (Philippians 1:21-26), as much as he wanted to win souls, he also wanted to be with his Saviour. Paul like David who wrote Psalm 23, had no fear of death for he knew with a full assurance in his heart that just as he had walked with Jesus in this world, that Jesus would walk with him through the valley of the shadow of death.
We too can have this assurance, reminding ourselves of those powerful words that Paul wrote in Romans 8, ‘No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ Romans 8:37–39.
Application: Are you afraid of dying? Read the following Scriptures to enable you to rest in God and in the assurance of an eternity with him.
Job 19:25-27, John 11:25-26, 1 Corinthians 15:51-57