The Valley of the Shadow of Death

      Just so you know, I had planned on writing about an entirely different topic today. My intent was not to continue on the theme of death, but this is where the Spirit led me so I will follow the prompting. And really, who doesn’t want to talk about death two days in a row?

The Valley
      Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You [are] with me” Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

     We are walking in the valley of the shadow of death, my friend. In fact, we are dwelling in it- that valley, cradled between the crest of life at birth and the mountain of death. Life on earth is the valley of the shadow of death- the venture forever eclipsed by that which is impending and certain: death. As soon as we enter into this life we begin our inevitable journey toward death. Bear with me through this discouraging thought, but, ultimately, we must understand that life on earth is not composed of living, but of actively dying.

 Death is the Very Contrast of God
    
      According to the Law, there are several rules about ritual purity. These were (and are) the instructions given on how to separate oneself from that which is unholy in order to enter into the presence of God. All of these have one unifying theme, which is death. Each law is meant to cleanse from a brush with death-handling a corpse, a woman’s menstruation, animal sacrifices, etc. What can be learned from this observation? Death is the very contrast of God.
    
      As far as good is from evil and light from darkness, so too is death from the Living God. Therefore, if death is the very contrast of God and life on earth is the valley of the shadow of death, then life on earth is the very juxtaposition of God. This has some remarkable implications, ranging from why God allows suffering to why we cannot covet the things of this world, but those are topics for another time. For now, I’d like to turn to Jesus.

 Because He Lives
    
      When Jesus took on the flesh of man, we understand that He also took on the death sentence of which we are all subject to. It is important to reflect on Jesus’s death as special-Jesus, Son of God, had power over death and yet He came to die. Jesus took on our death sentence, our condemnation, as a living sacrifice. Jesus’s ultimate mission was to die. What might also be important to note, though, is the certainty of death that can be testified in Jesus’s own death. When God came and indwelled on earth, he also took on that earthlike certainty: death. If God let Himself experience physical death, you can be certain that there will be no escaping it for yourself.
      
     But that’s not where the story ends, of course. Yes, Jesus experienced a physical death and so will we, but Jesus did not suffer a spiritual death and neither should you. In faith in Christ as the Son of God, our only hope of salvation, we become one with Christ (Phil 1:27; Gal 4:7). As such, we are resurrected with Christ to have eternal life. We fear not death, because we have hope of eternal life with Christ. This is a resounding promise we can rest in, but I dare say we do not.
    
      To choose Jesus Christ is to choose life. To choose life is to choose not to live in fear. All fears, ultimately, are a fear of death. We fear things that might cause us bodily harm beyond repair, the death of a marriage, the death of a friendship, the death of career or success. There is not a single fear that is not, in some way, an incarnation of death. As believers, though, we are not governed by these fears because we are not governed by death. Being one with Christ means we are not bound by death and so are not bound by fear.

 Confusing God with Sanctimonious Death
    
      Throughout scripture, when one encounters the Living God, an angel, or the resurrected Christ, we see that person either express fear or the angel or God instructs them not to fear, suggesting that the person is, or will become, fearful at encountering the Living God. There is a reason for this. When in the presence of the Most Holy, mere man can only be certain of his inequity. God’s punishment for such inequity being death-separation from Him (remember, death is the direct opposite of God). This fear, like all others, derives from a fear of death. And this time, it’s more than warranted.
    
     As believers in Christ, though, something should change. We see clearly from Romans 8:1 that in Christ Jesus we have no condemnation. Therefore, we ought to have no fear when we come before our God. That is not to say that we shouldn’t still be reverent. Were we to forget that death is a sentence we were pardoned from, we would lose sight of the magnificence of grace. However, to fear is to allow death to have a hold on you. It’s like having your sentence to death commuted, but everyday preparing for the guillotine. Beloved, why are you fearful when the basis of your fear is erased as a possibility?
    
     Psalm 23:4, shows us the peace and direction we are to have. Even though we are traversing through and toward our physical ruin, we have no fear, for God is with us. Christ promises that He is always with us (Matthew 18:15-20). If we are to believe (and we do), that we have victory over death in Christ and that God, the opposition to death, is always with us, can death touch us? The answer is no. No lasting death can touch us, as death cannot touch God. So, what then do you have to fear?
    
      To fear is to confuse God’s glory with fruitless death and to do so is to tread into dangerous waters. By doing this, you are losing sight of the power of God-which is irreverent-and you are negating that power that you join into when you become a follower of Christ-which is ungrateful and foolish. It’s also very tragic. You will lose so much of the wonder of walking with God if you constantly allow the fear of death to eclipse His glory. The battle has already been won, beloved, stop undermining the victory by anticipating a different outcome.

Death as a Scare Tactic

      God does not resort to human modes of manipulation, but He does know how to get our attention and death is a pretty effective way to do that. Why would God allow us to dwell in a place that is ever shadowed by death? The answer is simple: death is a reminder. It’s a reminder that we have a choice. We can choose death or we can choose Christ and by doing so, choose life. Free will is present in our world and as long as we’re in the midst of death, we are reminded of that. Sometimes we need death to press against us a little closer to get it. Sometimes we need to be chased by some Egyptians. Sometimes we need to try and kill our sons (not that I’m advising that outside of the story of Abraham, mind you). Sometimes our firstborns need to be killed. Sometimes our husbands need to die. And sometimes we need to see a sinless Savior die.

      In light of this, though, we understand that God gives life everlasting. And while we have death as the ever present reminder that separation from God is both horrifying and precariously within grasp, we have peace. Trust is a discipline, brothers and sisters. To cast out fear and declare this almighty power of God, takes work and faith but He gives us the greatest reason to do so- to have a relationship with Him. So take a moment to meditate on the fragility of this life when you encounter death- when you read about the loss of life from a natural disaster, when a loved one dies, when a friendship dies, when security dies-and then cast away all fear, for you know you are well outside the grips of death. Trust Him and then move forward with your life. Do the things He’s asked you to do without fear, for any fear you may have is incomparable to the power of God Almighty. Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, do not fear-for He is with you.