These are the words from Psalm 23, one of the best known of all David’s psalms. It paints a beautiful picture of how a shepherd cares for his sheep, and how God cares for us. In the Contemporary English translation the first three verses read: “You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.”

This version paints an even more vivid picture of this pastoral scene. The sheep are relaxing, enjoying cool waters and being totally refreshed. Sounds lovely, like a trip to a spa. But closer examination of the passage reveals that a sheep’s life is not all rose petals and relaxation. As a matter of fact, being a sheep requires work. Let’s take a closer look at the action verbs in the psalm.

• He makes me lie down – Sheep have to stop their grazing, and their wandering and lie down to rest. The same is true for us. Although we live in this hectic 21st century environment, we have to make a conscious effort to stop and rest.
• He leads me beside quiet waters – If He’s leading the sheep must be following; they’re moving. The shepherd will lead the sheep to the safest places, but they must be willing to follow. If we expect God to order our steps, we must be willing to stay close to Him and follow His lead.
• Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death – This is not the time for resting, the sheep must keep walking through this dangerous place. As the old adage says, “When you’re going through a valley, KEEP GOING!”
• You prepare a table before me – There will be times in our lives when God showers us with unmerited favor and we must be willing to step up to the table and embrace those blessings; even in the face of opposition or enemies.
• Goodness and love will follow me – If goodness and love are following me, evidently I must be moving. I can depend on God’s blessings to follow me through each season of my life.

So you see, sheep don’t have it so easy after all. Although the shepherd takes care of them and protects them they have to work. – and so do we.

In this fourth verse of Psalm 23 David talks about going through a valley. All us of have lived through difficult times; they are an unavoidable reality of life. Although we’d much rather go over, under or around them, sometimes the only way is through.

I was reminded of this fact by an experience that I had on an airplane as I flew from Charlotte, North Carolina to San Francisco, California. As an avid traveler, I always enjoy the energy and excitement of a busy airport; especially the people watching.  It is fascinating to know that within that swirling kaleidoscope of humanity each person has a different destination and a different story to tell.  When I arrived at the departure gate I could see that my fellow travelers had begun to arrive – businessmen, couples, singles, students – all headed to the City by the Bay.  As I waited I noticed a family; a father, mother and son who appeared to be 10 or 11 years old. I surmised by the way that he held onto his mother’s arm that he was probably a special needs child. Before long we boarded the plane and were airborne.

The first few hours of the flight were uneventful. However, that changed about three hours into the flight when we heard a curious noise coming from the back of the plane. It began as moaning then progressed to howling and eventually screaming. As we struggled to figure out what it was, I remembered the family with the special child. Sure enough, he’d become disoriented and was expressing his displeasure at being confined in such a small space.  No doubt it was quite overwhelming for him. They were seated only a few rows behind me, so I could hear the parents trying to comfort and soothe him. They even took turns walking him up and down the aisle; all to no avail. He continued to express his displeasure and since he was a big boy, he was quite loud. The passengers and flight crew tried to be understanding, but it really was quite unnerving.  Two hours of high-pitched screaming can test even the most patient of people.

My heart went out to the parents who were obviously mortified by causing such a commotion. They were completely worn out. Although it was a temporary discomfort to the rest of the passengers, they had the ongoing responsibility for caring for their son. I was reminded of how much parents of special needs children need our patience and our prayers.

Needless to say, all of our nerves were quite frayed when we reached SFO.

This is an example of an experience that we all had to go THROUGH. There was no escape, no easy way out. We couldn’t tell the pilot to fly faster, or ask the family to step into the next room – we just had to endure.

There are times in our lives when we have to endure; sometimes hours, weeks, months or even years. It is during those times when we become even more aware of God’s presence. He promised to be close beside us. He will sustain us and give us strength to get to the other side of the valley. So when you’re going through a valley – KEEP GOING!