Psalm 23:4 (NASB)
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Psalm 18:28 (NASB)
28 For You light my lamp; The Lord my God illumines my darkness.

John 8:12 (NASB)
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

God, in His infinite wisdom created a universe that contains a spectrum of opposing experiences, so that we could sense and understand the differences. For without a valley, we could not see the mountain; without sorrow, we could not feel love; without silence, we could not hear music; without the bitter, we would not taste the sweet; without the sense of pain, we could not feel a tender touch.

The 23rd psalm is probably the most well known passage in scripture. The fourth verse talks about walking through a valley and the word death is the one word we focus on. Yet, it is not the valley of death, rather it is the valley of the shadow of death. And shadows cannot exist without light. The comfort of walking through a valley is that He is walking with us. His light illumines our way. Jesus is the light of the world, whether we are on a mountain or in the deepest valley. Praise God for the beauty of opposites.

Heavenly Father, I confess that I do not like the valleys of life. I’d rather be on the mountain top. I’d rather feel the tender touch rather than the pain. We live in a broken world, but because of the sacrifice of Your Son, we do not walk it alone. Thank You for Jesus, the light of the world that shines on us each day. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,