July 27, 2022

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.

Psalm 23:4

There is a wonderful image of discipleship caught up in the transition from verse 3 to verse 4. For the people of Israel, the poignancy of the psalms was three-fold: they are revelatory poems about the LORD and his people; they were liturgical expressions of corporate worship; and, because of the truth held within and publicly expressed, they also functioned as tools of discipleship. Imagine for a moment, David the King and Psalmist leading the congregation in Psalm 23. Verses 1-3 powerfully teach us about God’s character, but verse 4 draws us into direct conversation with the Lord when times are hard. It is not always easy to recognize God’s presence in the midst of difficulty, but this is where we need the lens of scripture to shape our perception of life. To say that Jesus is “Emmanuel” is to say that he is “God with us”, but where exactly? The language of Jesus in John 14:26 and Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:16 is helpful: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”; “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” Faith in Christ has so worked that, not only are all our needs differently satisfied in Christ, we have received the Holy Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the Son into our hearts, the core of our being. Not only is God our creator, savior and redeemer; he is also, through the indwelling of His Spirit, our constant companion in joy and sorrow. Because of Christ we can truly say “I will fear no evil, for you are with me…”

-Matt Allhands