You Are With Me

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.  

Psalm 23:4 

Nothing else comforts us in the midst of different circumstances as much as the presence of Christ.  David articulated this in our text. He spent a considerable portion of His life in the valley of the shadow of death, where situations could have become terminal quickly. As a young person he encountered a lion and a bear. He had to confront them and kill them to protect his flock. As a young man he engaged in single combat with Goliath, the Philistines’ giant. He fought battles where the arrows flew. The field was full of spears, swords and angry, desperate men. His father-in-law, the king pursued him as an enemy of  the state. Later in life his own son would overthrow him and his trusted general would seek to destroy him. What was David’s comfort in all these perilous situations? He said, ‘I will fear no evil; for you are with me.’ When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in the burning fiery furnace, Christ was there. When Daniel was in the lion’s den, Christ was there. When we face the most fearful, trying situations of life, our comfort is that Christ is with us. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us so that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I shall not fear. What can man do to me?’ The presence of Christ delivers us from fear. 

Our Gracious Savior and our God, 
we rejoice that You deliver us from fear. 
We praise You that where we go, 
You are there.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning