"The Lord is my shepherd...Yea, thou I walk through the the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Ps. 23:1a, 4).
There are time in our lives when we are called to walk beside someone who is fighting a great illness that could or will take their lives. Since we are not the one who is ill, it is the valley of the shadow of death for us. But it affects us none the less. These are the times when even we need God our Great Shepherd to lead us through this dark valley. We can be sure that if we keep our eyes on the Shepherd he will lead us through that valley to the other side.
Did you know that he brings weapons with Him into the valley to help protect and care for you? Yes, he does. Let me tell you about these weapons. He carrys a rod. Now this rod is a weapon that shepherds in the Holy lands. With it they use it as a club to beat back animals that are trying to attack the sheep. God also deals with our enemies, both physical and spiritual. We may not always see how, but he does. The other weapon is the staff. A shepherd holds the staff sideways and uses it like a guardrail to help keep the sheep on a dark steep trail. God also has a staff called the Bible that tells us where to walk in safety. The shepherd also uses the staff to grab a sheep that is about to fall over a clift to keep them from doing so. Or to grab a sheep that has already fallen over the cift and is stuck on a ledge, to bring it back to safety. God also can do this to those of us that allow him to do so.
You see, Jesus, God son, is the Great Shepherd, he said so himself, when he said, "I am the good Shepherd. The shepherd gives his life for the sheep" (John 10:11 NIRV). That is what Jesus was doing when he died on that cross. When we realize just how much Jesus wants to take care of you and protect you even in the dark valley of the shadow of death, you will find comfort.
Comforting hugs,
Chaplain Toni
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