SURVIVING DARK VALLEYS
Psalm 23:4
INTRODUCTION: (Play 2:40 & fade of “Tears of Heaven” by Eric Clapton - lyrics on powerpoint)
I am a fan of Eric Clapton’s music but until this week I didn’t know what motivated Eric to write the song we just heard. “Tears of Heaven” won Eric Clapton a 1993 Grammy and Song of the year award. I know Eric didn’t write it for that. You see, Eric Clapton wrote that song in memory of his son, Conor. On March 20, 1991, 41/2 year old Conor fell out of Eric Clapton’s 53rd story window. It was one of those accidents that was so preventable and yet aren’t imaginable until they happen. Apparently a housekeeper cleaned the 4’ x 6’ window and left it open to air out the room. Eric went to retrieve a fax and Conor apparently thinking the window was a door fell to his death. As you can imagine the death of Conor had a deep impact on Eric. He said later, “Something in me died that day too. I kept asking, ‘What if I hadn’t gone to the fax machine? What if the housekeeper hadn’t cleaned the window? For the next year it felt like I could not breathe, like I was in a hole with walls so steep I could never escape.”
Maybe you haven’t had Eric Clapton’s tragedy but maybe you’ve felt like you’ve been thrust into a dark hole by something that has happened to you. A dark valley with walls so steep you feel like you could not escape. How do you handle those times? What do you do when life caves in?
Well, today we want to concentrate on God’s “Survival Kit” for the dark valleys of life. Those times when quite frankly, your not sure if anyone or anything out there is going to help. David knew that feeling. And as we continue to look at the 23rd Psalm, David, the ancient king of Israel, would say to us: “Please accept this fact: Even in your deepest valleys, your darkest days.. God is there.” Other than vs:1, this may be the most well known verse in Psa. 23. Vs: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." This morning let’s look closely at what this verse means as we are victims of the valleys and then make practical application to how we can have victory in the valley because “God is with us.”
I. BEING VICTIMIZED BY VALLEYS:
Let’s begin by understanding what David is talking about in this verse. This verse, along with the John 14:1, where Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me,” is one that you hear often at funerals. And surely the death of a loved one is a valley. But sometimes we may think that the “valley” David is referring to here is only the valley of death. Literally the Hebrew here reads “the valley of deep darkness.” You see, we might think of a valley as a gentle, rolling, meadow where living is ideal. And truly there are some beautiful valleys.. The Shendoah Valley in Virginia, the Flathead River Valley in Montana, David is not referring to that type of terrain here. He is referring to a deep, dark, ravine. A place that is home for vultures by day and wolves by night, a chasm among the hills, a frightening place. In fact, most scholars believe that David is referring to a specific valley called the “Valley of the Shadow of Death.” It was a deep, dark, foreboding place to try to walk through let alone lead sheep. David, would often lead his sheep through the valley of the shadow of death as the flock made it’s way to the higher mountain ranges for summer grazing. But, when he says we walk through this valley he is not talking about this kind of place in the physical sense but the emotional sense. He’s speaking of places of deep heartache, of tough trauma, of serious suffering. This is a place where shadows are prevalent, where sadness is present, where suffering is predominate. So, here are 5 truths about valleys that you need to remember when you go through a tough time:
(1) Valleys are inevitable. One of the worst things we can do is have an unrealistic expectation that life will be without trouble. Several years ago I had a young couple in my office who wanted me to perform their wedding. I told them to do so, would require them to complete our pre-marital counseling. The girl looked at me and said, “Oh, we won’t need that. I know that other couples have problems in their marriage but we won’t... we love each other too much,” and they looked at each other all starry eyed. I wanted to say, “Boy! You don’t know how much you need this counseling!” But it is a fact of life.. Just as every mountain has a valley, every life has difficulties. Jesus was very realistic about that fact. Jn 16:33- "In the world you will have trouble." It’s not a matter of if, it’s when. You’re going to experience disappointment, discouragement, suffering, sorrow, sickness, frustration, failure & fatigue. These things will happen. They are a normal part of life. Don’t be surprised. 1 Ptr 4:12- “Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange was happening to you.” When trials and tribulations come it will help if you expect them.
(2) Valleys are unpredictable. Valleys come when you don’t have time, when you don’t have the resources, when you’re unprepared. Have you ever had a flat tire at a good time? They just happen. And usually when it’s most inconvenient. It would be very great if we could schedule our down times in life. You can’t plan life like that. Valleys come suddenly. Have you ever noticed how quickly a good day can become a bad day? A phone call, a letter, a routine doctor’s check-up, a freak accident. Valleys can happen when we least expect them. Jer. 4:20 "Disaster follows disaster... In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter falls in a moment." Life is uncertain.. James 4:14- “How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow?”(LB)
(3) Valleys are impartial. No one is immune or insulated from them. Doesn’t matter how good or bad you are. Everybody has problems, trials, difficulties, disturbances, down times, depression. That doesn’t mean you’re a bad person it just means you’re a person. The Bible is very clear that good things happen to bad people and sometimes bad things happen to good people. Valleys are impartial. Matthew 5:45- "It rains on the just and the unjust too." When we go through a difficult time -- a valley in life -- the first reaction is always "Why me?" We really should ask "Why not me?" Do we think we should be exempt from all the problems everybody else has to go through?
(4) Valleys are temporary. They have an end to them. They don’t last. They’re not permanent. David says, "Even though I walk through the valley..." The valley is not something you stay in your entire life. It’s something you go through, a circumstance, a situation that has a season to it. When you’re in a valley you often think it’s a dead end, but it’s not. It’s like a tunnel- there is a beginning and end. You go through the tunnel and eventually you’re out and back in the light again. They don’t come into your life to stay. Yes, even if it ends in death it passes. Read with me.. I Ptr 1:6- "There is a wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here."(LB) He admits that sometimes you’re going to go through tough times. It’s going to be rough. Life is tough. You’re going to have it... for a while. Paul reiterates that in 2 Cor. 4- “For our light and momentary troubles..” Did you hear what he calls them? And finishes like Peter.. “For our light and momentary problems are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” There is wonderful joy ahead. He’s talking about Heaven. There are no problems in heaven, no valleys, no dark days. If you know the Shepherd is your Lord, that’s where you’re going. Paul and Peter are telling us in those passages.. “Even if you live 80 or 90 years and have a problem every day of your entire life, that is so insignificant compared to the thousands and millions of years in eternity that will be problem free.” They won’t last and you’ll find an eternal glory. Think about that for a moment. That means pain can be productive.. if we respond in the right way. And that brings us to the 5th truth..
(5) Valleys are purposeful. God has a reason for taking you through the valleys. Whether it’s doubt, depression, despair, discouragement, defeat -- He’s got a reason behind it. Don’t miss the connection David makes in vss:3 & 4 in Psa. 23. Vs: 3 says that “He leads me in the right paths..” And now he says, "one of the paths that I follow Him is through the `valley of the shadow of death.’” The Shepherd allows you to go through your valleys so that they can prove your faith. We love to enjoy the mountain tops, but you don’t build faith on the mountain tops. You build faith in the valleys of life. When everything is going fine and great you don’t really need God. But when you come face to face with a dark valley, you get on your knees. Listen, God is far more interested in your character than He is in your comfort or your convenience. Heb. 12:7 says to “endure hardships as discipline.. You see, God’s goal in life is not to just make life comfortable for you. He wants to make you like Jesus Christ. Was Jesus exempted from suffering? Did Jesus go through times of loneliness? Yes. Will you? Yes. Was Jesus ever tempted to be discouraged? Yes. Will you? Yes. Was Jesus ever misunderstood, maligned, criticized unjustly? Yes. Will you? Sure. Does God cause accidents and tragedies? No. God is a good God and He will not cause or do evil. But can God use accidents and tragedies for good? Absolutely. He can use even the evil done to us by others, turn it around and bring good out of it by building character in us. So, remember these 5 things when you’re going through your valley of deep darkness.. They are inevitable, unpredictable, impartial, temporary and purposeful and in doing so be better prepared for them.
II. BEING VICTORIOUS THROUGH VALLEYS:
Alright, you prepare yourself for the dark valleys but how do you practically deal with them when you’re in them? Let’s look very closely at what David says because within v:4 are three secrets to getting through the valleys. He said: "I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." So the first step is:
(1) Refuse to panic. Notice how David says what he does here. David says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death". "I will walk" - not "I run through it," not "I panic and take off the other way". Walk equates calmness, deliberately taking steps through the valley. David says "I’m not going to bolt in fear, I will calmly walk through the valley." That implies trust! It’s saying, “I can walk through the tough times because I know God is with me.”
And notice he says, "I will fear no evil." That implies a choice, a decisive act. David says, “I will not be afraid.” This means you have a choice. Refuse to let the valley defeat you. You can’t go around the valley. You can’t go under the valley. You can’t go over the valley. You can only go through the valley. If you are discouraged this morning, part of the problem is that you’re choosing to be discouraged. How do I choose to not be discouraged? By focusing on God’s power rather than on my problem. You can take two people and put them in the identical situation -- a chaos, tragedy, crisis -- one of them will be blown away by it, the other is actually strengthened by it. One of them falls apart, one of them is strengthened through it. What’s the difference? What they’re focusing on. Don’t focus on your circumstance, focus on Christ. Don’t focus on the situation, focus on the Savior. Listen to these passages from great people of faith: David: Psa. 34:4b- “I sought the Lord and He answered me, He delivered me from all my fears!” Paul: Col. 1:11 "God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come.."(NCV) In Heb 12:2- “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever.”(MSG) Jesus faced the cross with determination instead of depression because He chose to focus on the joy that was on the other side.
(2) Rest on the fact that God is with me. David said, "For You are with me.” God not only promises us His power in the valley, He promises His presence. You will never go through a valley in life by yourself. You will never go through a dark day alone. Notice something that David does here. In the first part of the Psalm all of the pronouns are in the 3rd person - he talks about God: "He leads me beside still waters, He guides me into green pastures, He restores my soul". But when he gets in the valley he starts talking not about God but to God. "You are with me. Your rod and your staff comfort me." When I’m going through the valley I don’t want to talk about God, I want to talk to God. When you’re in the valley and you’re spent, depleted, perplexed, it’s a scary thing in the dark valley! But it can also be a time that God becomes so real. God says, "I’m with you. You’re not in this by yourself." He’ll never be closer than when you’re in the valley. I want you to hear from a couple who learned that truth when they walked through their dark valley
A FAITH STORY ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN A DARK VALLEY
ERIC AND MELISSA SCOTT
Isa. 43:2 "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fires of oppression, you will not be burned up -- the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God and am with you."(LB) Please remember: God does not set up in heaven, looking down on you saying, "I sure hope they make it!" He’s there with you in the valley, walking with you, hand in hand. Remember: you can rest on the fact that God is with you.
(3) I rely on God’s protection. Maybe some of you are wondering.. “Okay, so I will go through valleys with determination because I can trust that God will be there with me.. But how can I be assured of that? Is there any way I can know that God is with me?” Yes. David says, “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Does that mean there is some kind of stick we are to be looking for? No, this is a word picture to represent some important attributes of God. You see, the rod & staff were the two basic tools of a shepherd. A rod was about two foot long, with a heavy knot at the end. Shepherds were very skilled at hurling the rod, like a missile, at anything that would attack the sheep. So, the rod symbolizes God’s power. God is saying, "When you go through the valley, I’m defending you. I’m protecting you. I won’t let you endure anything you can’t bear."
"Your staff comforts me." A staff was a long stick with a crook at the end of it. The shepherd uses a staff to guide and comfort. He will use the staff to draw the sheep in close to him. He will use the staff to lift them up over an obstacle. He will draw them closer to him with his staff. So the staff symbolizes God’s care. So, the question is, what are God’s rod and staff today? What things does God use to protect us with His power and guide in His care? I can think of at least three as we close.
(A) God’s Word. The Bible is both a protector and provider. Hb. 4:12-13- “For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.”(NLT) If we will read and apply the Word, it will become “living” for us.. Protecting us from harm and guiding us in the Right paths.
(B) Gods Family. Is this one of the reasons you need a church home. It is within the family of God that He works so mightily. I’ve heard it so often. Again today from Melissa.. How her church, her Christian family & friends came along side. By the way. One of the reasons we go through valleys is so God can use us as a “Valley Guide” for others. 2 Cor. 1:3-5- “He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”(MSG)
(C) God Spirit. When you come to Christ He offers His presence in a special way. In Jn 14 He called this presence “The Comforter.” The Holy Spirit, comes and lives within you.. Not just a warm, fuzzy feeling but a real entity to help you, to guide you, to protect you. Jesus said, “I will ask the Father and he will give you the Comforter, and he will never leave you....”(LB)
His “rod and His staff.” His Word, His Family, His Spirit all to get you through the “valley of the shadows..”
You know, there are 3 things to remember about shadows. 1. Shadows are always bigger than reality. Fear is always greater than the actual problem. It’s the fear that is enormous. 2. Shadows cannot hurt you. Ever been run over by a shadow? Shadows are image without substance. They can scare you, but they cannot hurt you. 3. There is no shadow without a light somewhere. When you’re going through a dark valley, you think the sun has stopped shining. You can’t see at all and you think you’re in total darkness. But any time there is a shadow it means there is a light somewhere. When you start to get afraid of the shadow in the dark valley, turn your back on the shadow and look directly at The Light and the shadow falls behind you. Where is the Light? Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world." When you look at Him the shadows fall behind you. Someone said, “If you look at the world you’ll be distressed. If you look within you’ll be depressed. If you look at Christ you’ll be at rest.” It all depends on what you’re looking at. “Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. I cried out to the LORD in my suffering, and he heard me. He set me free.”(Psalm 34:5-6 NLT) Are you going through a valley? If not now, you will. Why not look to Him and discover what David did thousands of years ago is still true.. “You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
