Jump Start # 3546

Psalms 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

The other day I was going through some class material that I had taught several years ago. As I was flipping through the pages of notes, I came across a post-it note. It was a statement that I began a class with that Wednesday evening several years ago. I had forgotten that I had read that statement to our church family. It was a terrible incident. It left a scar upon my heart. My daughter was working as a bank teller. That branch was robbed that Wednesday morning, several years ago. The armed robber pointed his gun at my daughter’s head. The statement was telling the church about those events. My daughter was at services that evening.

Before that day ended, there was a police chase, both by car and on foot. The robber was caught and returned to prison. The FBI trauma team was brought in. I remember my daughter calling me soon after it happened. I raced over to the bank and sat in the parking lot for a long time. I wasn’t allowed to see her.

Now, more than a decade later, raising her three daughters with her husband and busy in the kingdom and life, she is doing very well. God was good.

And, all it took was seeing a green post-it note stuck to some class notes to bring a flood of fear, tears and memories racing back. So many things in life will do that to us. A certain song you haven’t heard in a long time, and it takes your mind to a funeral a long time ago. A certain place you haven’t been to in a long time and there awaiting you is a mountain of feelings, thoughts and memories.

Here are some lessons for us:

First, in the middle of a tragedy, a crisis or a heartache, it’s hard to know if we will ever see the sun shine again. So many prayers offered. So much concern. So many tears. That valley of the shadow of death can seem so long at the moment. We wonder if we will ever make it to the other side. We wonder if we do make it, what will we be like. Will this moment define us? Will it cripple us? Will it destroy us?

The fearful disciples, thinking that they were about to die, cried out to Jesus in the storm, “Do you not care?”

Second, time and life have a way of stuffing those scary moments deep into our hearts, and although they remain there, we don’t dwell upon them. This is the first time in a long while that I had thought about that bank robbery. I’ve heard some say about events in their lives, ‘I think about these things every day.” But the Lord has a way of sending blessings that cover the pain that we have experienced. Since that bank robbery, there has been other jobs, a wedding, babies born, houses moved into and tons of wonderful joys in her life.

Our eyes choose what we will see. Some never take their eyes off a tragedy. They don’t recognize the blessings from Heaven all around them. They become sour, bitter and even ruined by such things.

Third, it is easy for one to believe that they are the only one to experience anything tragic. I must admit I don’t know anyone else who was robbed at gunpoint while working as a bank teller. But I know a brother who  recently lost a leg because of an infection. He’s not getting that leg back. I know families who had babies die. I’ve known people who were victims of fraud. I know people who were sued, lied to and hurt, by family members. Our tragedy isn’t the only tragedy.

We must remember when talking to others and they are in the midst of their storm, that listening is better than trying to retell our story. Very few people know about the bank robbery. We just don’t talk about it. It happened, but we, especially she, has moved on. That’s a key aspect of dealing with troubles. Move on.

I expect just about each of our readers have their own stories of heartache, tragedy and sadness. But, you also have a story of triumph. Here you are today, years removed, and you are still walking with the Lord. You came through that valley and are now on the other side. And, the longer you live, the more stories of valleys and victories you will have. Emergency runs to the hospital. Those fearful phone calls in the middle of the night. Car accidents. Times when you and your family looked death in the eye, but you made it through safely. Your story is of faith, prayer and hope. Your story can help others. Your story keeps you going.

I looked at that green post-it note in my old class notebook for a long time today. Do I throw it away or do I keep it? Do I want to be reminded again?

I decided to keep that note. It not only reminded me of a tragic moment in our family, but it also reminds me of how the great Shepherd has been there for us and helped us.

I’m asked so often, “Where do you get your ideas to write these Jump Starts everyday?” Sometimes it’s nothing more than finding an old note stuck in a class book years ago.

Roger

Jump Start # 3517

Psalms 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.”

This Psalm is a favorite of most. It’s found on funeral cards, posters, pictures, cross stitched, and in about every place imaginable. This Psalm has brought comfort to the weary soul, the grieved heart, and the fearful. It presents a pleasant picture of green pastures and quiet waters. It calls our thirsty and tired souls to linger in the presence of the Lord.

There is a quiet shift in the text when we come to our verse today. Up to this point, the Psalmist has been talking about God. He is a wonderful Shepherd. He knows where to lead us. He knows when we need rest. But, in our verse today, the Psalmist no longer talks about God. He now talks to God and right in the middle of this chapter, comes a prayer. The fearful and dreaded dark valley of death is no longer something to dread nor be terrified of. The Shepherd is with him. The rod and staff of the Shepherd brings comfort. They do that because they are in the hands of the Shepherd. That means, the Shepherd is nearby. The Shepherd is right here.

I love this Psalm. I have preached and preached and preached it so many times. Like holding a unique object in your hand, you turn it this way and then that way and each time you see and observe new things. It never gets old.

And, once again, as I turn this beautiful Psalm before my eyes, I see something fascinating in this one verse, our verse. It’s a word, but what a powerful word it is. “Through.” I walk through the valley. Do you see that? We don’t stay in the valley. We don’t dwell in the valley. The valley does not become our home. We are on a journey. To reach our destination we must go through those dark Judean canyons. A quick, hard rain, and those canyons fill with a rapid flash flood that could mean death. Behind every turn in those canyons, could be desperados, waiting to attack a careless traveler. Within those canyons may be fierce animals that will lunge at you in an instant. There are so many reasons to avoid the canyons. There are so many reasons to be afraid. But, we travel into those valleys. But we don’t stay. We walk THROUGH them and we walk through them WITH our Shepherd.

Here are some thoughts for us:

First, valleys are inevitable. We’d like everyday to be like a trip to Disney, the happiest place on earth, we are told. But our journey is not like that. The path we take often leads to hospitals and funeral homes. There is sickness and sorrow. There is disappointments and heartache. Some days are hard. How we’d love to skip around those days, but we can’t. We go THROUGH those things.

Second, valleys are often unpredictable. The day starts sunny and pleasant, but by the end of that day, storms have filled the skies and our hearts. A person doesn’t leave the house telling his loved ones, “I think I’ll have a car wreck today.” But, there are days that the wreck happens. One doesn’t have to go looking for trouble. Somehow trouble always finds us. It catches us off guard. We have a hard time preparing for it simply because we do not know when it will come.

Third, valleys are impartial. The journey of life takes us through valleys. There is no place on the planet that boasts, “This is a trouble free town.” The amount of education won’t keep you out of valleys. Wealth can buy fine medicine, but there remains valleys that we must all travel through. The young. The old. The righteous. The wicked. Those who try to do what is right. Those who don’t care what they do. The good. The bad. The kind. The selfish. The wise. The fool. The rich. The poor. We all have valleys that the road of life takes us through.

For the child of God, he has an advantage. He has the Lord to follow. The Lord will lead him into the valley and the Lord will be with him in the valley and the Lord will provide assurance and comfort. For others, they journey through the valley on their own. Frightened, confused and unaware what to do, some will fail. Some will give up. Some will become bitter. Going through valleys is hard. It is especially hard when one doesn’t have the Lord to be with him.

Fourth, valleys have a purpose. We might not see the reason, nor understand or even agree with why they are there, but they cause us to see what is important in life. They cause us to walk ever closer to the Lord. They cause us to be patient and prayerful. They cause us to listen carefully to the Lord. Some will complain about valleys. Some will curse valleys. For the righteous, he understands there is a reason and a purpose and on the other side of the valley, there are wonderful lessons that have been learned.

THROUGH. Don’t stay in the valley. Don’t put out a mailbox and buy a welcome mat for the valley. The valley is not our home. The valley does not define us nor defeat us. The valley is not what we are after. THROUGH the valley, on the other side, that’s where the Lord wants us to be. To get there, a valley stands in our way. You have to go through it. But you don’t have to go through it alone.

THROUGH…I like that word!

Roger

Jump Start # 532

Psalms 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

  Going through the valleys is part of life. We have to journey through them. There are no ways around them and besides, if we are following our Shepherd, He leads us through them.  Yesterday, up in Indianapolis, I preached the funeral of a sweet Christian lady. She was one of my early Bible class teachers years ago. Her son and his family are very dear to my family. That evening, I went to another funeral home. Another friend’s father had passed away. Another friend, who had worked several years at a company, lost his job. Tough times for those families. Those long journeys through the valley can seem long and dark. Tears come to the eyes. Uncertainty fills the heart. Why does life have to be like this?

  Jesus ended His great sermon on the mount with the story of two men who built their houses—one upon the rock and the other upon sand. Both men experienced wind, rain and floods. Both men. Not just the sand man, but the rock man did as well. Storms come. It is those times that we really rely upon our faith. It is those times that we really trust in the Lord. It is those valley times that distinguish a real faith in the Lord and an academic knowledge of the Bible—those two are not the same. The difference is noted especially during the storms of life.

  Just about any one can be a sunshine Christian. Health in the body, money in the bank, secure job and marriage, a car starts every time, and we’ll walk through the day with a smile on our face. That doesn’t take much to do that. Just about anyone can do that. It’s the other kind of days that really show what we are made of. How do we do in the valleys? How are we with storms?

   We remember that God’s love is not determined whether we are in a valley or a mountain top. We remember that God is on the throne. He’s always there, even when it seems that the world is falling apart, or at least we are, He is still in control. He is always at the helm. Storms and valleys do not take away from what He promised, nor do they defeat what He has said.

  People seem to watch us more carefully when we are going through a valley. They notice our attitudes, our words, and how we handle things. Going through the valley isn’t just for us, it’s for others who watch us. Our children, even the grown ones, learn as they watch us in a valley. Those that know us are often encouraged because of the way we conduct ourselves in storms and valleys. They see spiritual strength in us. They see us praying more. They see us spending time in the Scriptures.

  Life would be awesome if it wasn’t for the storms and valleys. I sometimes wonder if I’d think less about Heaven if I didn’t have a few valleys and storms. Those ugly times make our hearts long for the world in which there will be no pain, nor sorrow, nor death. We can’t ever forget our Heavenly home. We must never become satisfied with this place. We are pilgrims here, not natives. This world, as we often sing, is not our home. Valleys and storms do a great job of getting that point across.

   A friend buried his mother, another friend buried her father, and another friend lost his job—all of these friends are Christians. They are going through valleys and storms. I watched all of them and witnessed incredible faith, an undying hope in our Savior, a confidence that God will help them through these times, and a strength that was impressive. They will endure these storms and be a better people. They will not crumble under worry, fear or hopelessness. Not these people. They are rock people—their houses are built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and nothing will shake those homes.

  It’s awesome to witness folks doing right, having faith and being spiritual giants. They remind us that valleys and storms do not have to defeat us nor destroy us. They show that one can make it to the end of the valley. They show us that we can do the same. They remind us that they were never alone—God was with them, as this passage promises. What these families did was build a solid foundation upon Christ in the good times. They learned, listened, studied and developed their faith in Jesus Christ. They didn’t wait until they were in the valley, nor when the winds started blowing to begin their faith. It’s too late then. They built and built that foundation during the sunny days. And now that they are going through some dark days, they will be standing strong in the Lord. The Lord will get them through us, because they have been walking with Him all along. That’s the difference!

  Storm clouds are building on the horizon… there is no reason to fear. God is with you! Are you with Him?

Roger