When you are in the middle of a battle, it is easy for your fears to get triggered. Those are the moments we need the “sword of the Lord” to prop us up and give us assurance that God is with us. Psalm 23 has a shift in it that many people don’t see when they are reading it. The pronoun of the scriptures changes from “He” to “You’. The scripture starts out as if God was far away and we are referring to Him from a distance. In the beginning of the psalm God is the subject of the psalm, but at the end, God is the object of the psalm. It is the valley which brings God near and the psalm ends with David talking to God , not about God.
Psalms 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
But the valley brings God near, so the pronoun of the scripture changes from “He” to “You” Now David is talking to God up close. The valley changed David’s position with God. Now he sits at a table with Him and finds comfort from His staff. God is close enough to anoint David’s head with oil. Now David dwells in God’s house. The valley changed everything.
Psalms 23:4-6
4 Yea, 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.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
Be encouraged that God IS with you and for you! Let your valley lead the way to the next level!
