“There is comfort even in the dark valley when we draw near to the Shepherd who walks with us.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – June 16, 2026
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
As a child, I loved the twenty-third Psalm. The images of a shepherd leading his lambs beside a sparkling stream and resting them in lush green grass was calming to my often anxious little soul. But the fourth verse – the valley of the shadow of death bit – I wished could have been omitted. Didn’t the Psalmist realize that the image of that dark valley would tarnish the otherwise tranquil, pastoral pictures he was trying to conjure for his listeners?
But with a little age and wisdom, I’ve learned that the Psalmist had it just right. The dark valley is unavoidable. Whether it be tragic circumstances in our own lives or the lives of those we love, or the weight of the darkness in our world bearing down on us, we have all had to walk through that valley, and some much longer and more frequently than others. A hallmark of being in the thick of that seemingly-impenetrable darkness is a sense of desperate loneliness, as if God and his goodness have left us to the wolves. And yet, says the Psalmist with something like defiance in his tone, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” When we find ourselves in the shadows, our instinct may be to look frantically for the quickest route out. But what we really need is to draw near to the One who carries the rod and staff that can lead us on right paths through the darkness and can comfort us all along the way. The darkness is real, but it cannot ultimately touch us when our Shepherd is ever near. With Him beside us, we too can defy it.
Psalm 23 is my four-year-old son’s favourite. We recite it often, and, though part of me still wants to hurry over the dark valley bit, I force myself to slow down and enunciate every word. As much as I long to shield my children from the slightest icy touch of this world’s darkness, I know that I cannot. But what I can do is arm them with Light, and that Light is so much better than happy, distracting thoughts. The Light is a person, and he has walked into the mouth of this world’s darkness in order to walk with us through it, and yes, to lead us back out into his glorious light. I want my children to face whatever darkness comes their way with tenacious confidence that their Good Shepherd is with them, right beside them, even when he is hard to see. I want them to speak his victory call into the darkness until the shadows dissipate (because he promises that they will): “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Prayer
My Lord and Good Shepherd, at times the darkness around me is more than I can combat. Help me to draw near to you, to trust that you will never leave me, and to hold fast to your promises. Yours is the victory forever. Amen.
Application
When you find yourself in a dark place, ask the Lord to use it to draw you nearer to him. Take up John 1:5 as a battle cry as often as you feel overwhelmed.
Related Reading
Joshua 1:9; John 14:27, 16:33; Colossians 1:13; 1 John 5:4-5
Worship Resource
Jon Foreman: The House of God Forever
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