Through the darkness

Psalm 23:3 ended with those who follow God being led through the right paths. Some might ask why that verse is followed by verse 4, which points to trouble along the way. Several versions of Psalm 23:4 use the word “death”. In searching some other versions, the word “death” is replaced with “darkness”. This change seems to make the verse more relatable because darkness will be experienced more often than death. God doesn’t promise that there won’t be trials on that right path. If you are walking the right path then you will encounter some trials or darkness, as the enemy wants to get you off that path. The good news is God is with you on that path, “close beside me” (Ps. 23:4 NLT). When God is close beside you, you can put aside your fear and lean on Him to help keep you on that path. Why? The Good News Translation says this in the last part of the verse, “Your shepherds rod and staff protect me.” The Lord is our shepherd. Just as sheep rely on the shepherd for protection, we can rely on the Lord our shepherd for leading and protection. Just as wolves comes looking to harm the sheep, the enemy comes to get us off course. The sheep stay close to the shepherd. We need to stay close to God by reading His word and spending time in worship and prayer. When the enemy comes, it’s important to make sure we know God’s voice to follow His leading. We can survive things that come against us when we try to do things ourselves. Getting close to God and letting Him lead and protect us will help us thrive!