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Psalm 23:4 - I Will Fear No Evil; For Thou Art With Me.

Psalm 23:4 (KJV) Yea, though I walk through 
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear 
no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy 
staff they comfort me. 

INTRODUCTION

For You  Comfort Me: The very center of 
this psalm; [NIV SB]. Note this Psalm mentions 
three ways God comforts us; 1) with His presence, 
2) with His rod [His word], and 3) with His 
staff [His Spirit].  

COMMENTARY PEARLS

Walking with the Shepherd
   Psalm 23:4 often has been taken as a 
truth to provide comfort to someone who is dying. 
I think that is fine. But I dont think 
its really the primary intent of the verse. In 
context, its a picture of a shepherd guiding his 
sheep through a dangerous situation: Yea, 
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 
(NKJV). 
   Notice the psalmist David does not say, 
Yea, though I collapse and die in the valley of 
the shadow of death or Yea, though I crawl 
through the valley of the shadow of death. 
Rather, David says, Yea, though I walk through 
the valley of the shadow of death (emphasis 
added). 
   David was saying, Im going to keep 
walking. Im going to keep moving, and Im going 
to get through this. 
   Of course, we dont like trials. We 
dont like valleys. In fact, if we had our way, we 
would choose to go from mountaintop to mountaintop 
and from glory to glory. We would go from one 
happy day to another with no hardship, no tragedy, 
and no sorrow. But that is not the way it 
works. 
   Heres something we need to know: 
Spiritual fruit doesnt grow on mountaintops. It 
grows in valleys. And the real fruit and depth and 
character in your Christian life will not come through 
the good times, per se. 
   Instead, it will come from times of 
difficulty and suffering as you are being conformed 
into the image of Jesus Christ and are learning 
to completely trust Him. 
   Maybe youre in a valley. Dont 
panic. Know that it wont last forever. Jesus, 
the Good Shepherd, will get you through it. His 
rod and His staff will comfort you. [Greg Laurie 
from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

God Is There in Your Darkest Valley
   What things are you worried about? The 
economy? Your health? Your bills? Your kids? Are you 
worried about the future? You can find lots of 
reasons to be afraid in todays world, but God 
promises that even in your darkest valleys, he is 
walking beside you. 
   There are about 365 verses in the Bible 
that say, Fear not. God provided us with 
one fear not message for every day of the 
year! Perhaps God is saying, Get the message. 
Dont be afraid. Its interesting that almost 
every time God talks to someone in the Bible, the 
first thing he says is, Dont be afraid! 
   Why? Because our hurts and hang-ups can 
often cause us to think that God is out to get us, 
that all he wants to do is condemn us and punish 
us. But that simply isnt true, and Jesus is 
the proof of that. 
   When we understand Gods grace and 
mercy, we have no need to fear the future. God 
isnt trying to get even with you. Jesus has taken 
the penalty for everything youve ever done 
wrong or will do wrong. He paid for it on the 
cross. So when a bad thing happens, you dont 
have to think that Gods getting even with you; 
instead, remember this: Even when I walk through 
the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for 
you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff 
protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4 NLT). [Daily 
Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

In the Valley of the Shadow, Look to the 
Light 
   Loss is a common source of stress. You 
can lose your job, your health, your money, your 
reputation, or a loved one. 
   When people go through loss, you see two 
common reactions: One is fear, and the other is 
grief. Grief is good. Grief is the way we get 
through the transitions of life. In fact, if you 
dont grieve, you get stuck! Grief will not kill 
you if you let it out. 
   On the other hand, fear is a bad thing. 
Not once does the Bible say, Grieve not, 
Mourn not, Weep not, or Cry not. 
What it does say is, Fear not. And it says 
that 365 times! Grief doesnt paralyze, but 
fear does. 
   David says in Psalm 23:4, 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 
(ESV). 
   Shepherds always carried a rod and a 
staff to protect their sheep. David knew that in 
the same way, God has the tools to protect him, 
and he trusted God, even in the darkest 
valleys. 
   You might be going through the valley of 
the shadow right now - maybe the valley of the 
shadow of death. It may be the valley of the shadow 
of debt. It may be the valley of the shadow of 
conflict. It may be the valley of the shadow of 
depression. It may be the valley of the shadow of 
discouragement. 
   Shadows are scary. Remember being afraid 
of shadows when you were lying in bed as a kid? 
Ive learned a few things about shadows. 
   First, shadows cant hurt you.
   Second, shadows are always bigger than 
the source. 
   And heres more good news: Wherever 
theres a shadow, there has to be a light. You 
cant have a shadow without light. So the key when 
youre going through the valley of the shadow is to 
turn your back on the shadow and look at the 
light. Because as long as you keep your eyes on the 
light - Jesus, the light of the world - the shadow 
wont scare you. 
   Thats how you go through the valley of 
the shadow of death. Thats how you lower your 
stress. You trust God in the dark valleys, just like 
David, who prayed, When I am ready to give up, 
he knows what I should do (Psalm 142:3 GNT). 
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

COMMENTARY

Three Things to Remember About the Valleys
   In Israel, on the road from Jerusalem to 
Jericho, theres a canyon called the Valley of the 
Shadow of Death. In his day, King David probably 
traveled through it many times. Some of the canyons 
along the Jericho Road were narrow at the bottom 
and as tall as 800 feet. The only time you can 
see sunshine at the bottom is when it is noon 
and the sun is straight overhead. In the Bible, 
valleys are often a metaphor for difficult times, 
times of darkness, despair, defeat, or 
discouragement. 
   Psalm 23:4 says, Even though I walk 
through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for 
you are with me (NIV). The Bible teaches us 
that God is God not just a part of our 
mountaintop experiences. He is also with us in the 
valleys. There are three things you need to remember 
about the valleys: 
   1. Valleys are a part of life. The Bible 
says in Deuteronomy 11:11, The land you will 
soon take over is a land of hills and valleys 
(NLT). 
   2. Valleys are inevitable. All of us just 
came out of a valley or were in the middle of 
one right now or were headed into another 
one, because thats life. You cant avoid 
valleys. Instead, you can count on them. 
   3. Valleys happen to everybody. Theyre 
impartial. Good things happen to bad people, and bad 
things happen to good people. Were in a fallen 
and broken world, so we have problems. 
Nobodys immune. Nobodys insulated from pain. 
Nobody sails through life problem free. 
   The good man does not escape all 
troubles - he has them too. But the Lord helps him in 
each and every one (Psalm 34:19 TLB). 
   Valleys are unpredictable. You cant 
plan them. You cant time them. Problems 
typically catch you off guard. In fact, your valleys 
and your problems come usually at the worst time 
- when you dont have time, when youre 
unprepared, and when its inconvenient. Wouldnt it 
be easier if you could schedule all your 
valleys in life - when youre caught up on your 
sleep, your health is good, and nobody is bugging 
you? 
   Proverbs 27:1 says, Dont brag about 
tomorrow, since you dont know what the day will 
bring forth (NLT). 
   When you know better what to expect when 
it comes to the valleys of life, you know 
better how to prepare for them. [Daily Devotional 
by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

Three Things to Remember When You Walk 
through the Valley 
   You may not be in the valley of the 
shadow of death right now, but you may be in 
another valley. These are hard places on your 
journey, where its easy to doubt or overlook 
Gods goodness. But you can always trust that God 
walks through the valleys with you. And hes 
promised to bring you through to the other side. 
   Psalm 23:4 says, Even though I walk 
through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for 
you are with me (NIV). 
   Here are three truths worth remembering 
when you are in the valley: 
   1. You are not alone; God is with you.
The shadows in your life are the evidence of 
the presence of light. How do you deal with a 
shadow? You turn your back to the shadow and look at 
the light. Jesus said, I am the light for the 
world! Follow me, and you wont be walking in the 
dark. You will have the light that gives life 
(John 8:12 CEV). 
   The Bible says God is light and in him 
there is no darkness at all. You need to stop 
focusing on the things that scare you: those bills, 
those fears, those worries, that stuff that keeps 
swirling around in your mind. Move your focus off 
your fears so you can focus on the Father. 
   2. God has a good purpose for your valley.
   God cannot do evil. Even when youre 
facing problems, conflict, grief, fear, or failure, 
God is at work creating some good from your 
valley. 
   Romans 5:3-5 says, We rejoice in our 
sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 
and endurance produces character, and character 
produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, 
because Gods love has been poured into our hearts 
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us 
(ESV). 
   3. Remember: The reward will last forever.
   Youre going to be rewarded for 
remaining faithful to Christ in the valley of failure, 
in the valley of fear, in the valley of 
conflict, in the valley of grief, in the valley of 
brokenness, and in the valley of trouble. Youll be in 
heaven less than a minute before thinking, What 
was I thinking? Why did I complain so much? Why 
did I worry when I was going through those 
valleys? God was right there with me all the time, 
and he was good to me all the time. 
   The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:17, 
For our present troubles are small and wont 
last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory 
that vastly outweighs them and will last 
forever! (NLT). [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

Youre Never Alone - God Is With You
   Have you ever gone through a spiritual 
valley in your life? Perhaps it was a time when 
unexpected circumstances suddenly came crashing down on 
you. Perhaps it was a time when it seemed as 
though even God himself had abandoned you. 
   In Psalm 23, David speaks of how God is 
with us, even when we go through valleys in our 
lives: Yea, 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 (verse 4 NKJV). 
   David was no stranger to calamity and 
hardship. This was a man who knew what it was like to 
suffer. He knew what it was like to face 
difficulties. He had been hunted like a wild animal by the 
paranoid King Saul, even after being anointed as the 
next king of Israel by the prophet Samuel. 
   When David brings us this and other 
psalms, which he penned under the direction of the 
Holy Spirit, he candidly speaks of his own 
shortcomings, weaknesses, and questions he faced in life. 
Psalm 23 came from the school of hard knocks, from 
a man who knew what it was like to need 
Gods help. 
   But we might say, A valley? I dont 
like valleys, Lord. I prefer mountaintops, okay? 
I like the sun to be shining and the birds 
singing. I like good times. I dont want friction. 
I dont want hardship. 
   Yet the Lord is saying, You see that 
mountaintop in the distance? The way to that mountaintop 
is through this valley. You come with Me now 
through the valley. 
   We all go through those valleys in life, 
those hard times. Whatever valley it is, remember 
this: You are not alone. That is Gods great 
promise to the believer. [Greg Laurie from Harvest 
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]  

There Is Comfort From The Shepherd
   As a child of God you are never alone! 
Your Shepherd is with you at all times. You never 
have to call Him in to your situation. You never 
have to wonder where He is. You never have to 
fear that if things become too difficult, He will 
abandon you. He goes before you; He walks beside 
you; He comes behind you. He protects you 
securely. Just as He sees every sparrow and knows 
every hair that is on your head, so His gaze is 
constantly upon you (Lu 12:6"7). Even when you cannot 
see Him, He always keeps His eyes upon you. He 
comforts you with His strong presence in times of 
sorrow and grief. He leads you through the valley 
of the shadow of death. He does not necessarily 
lead you around the valley as you might wish. 
There are times when your Shepherd knows that the 
only way to get you where He wants to take you is 
to lead you down the path that passes through 
the dark valley. Yet, at those times He walks 
closely with you, reassuring you throughout the 
journey that He still loves you and is with you. It 
is during those times that you experience His 
love and compassion in a deeper dimension than 
you ever have before. 
   You never need to fear evil. As 
intimidating as evil can be, there is nothing you will 
ever face that intimidates your Shepherd. He has 
seen it all and soundly defeated every form of 
wickedness. Evil never catches Him by surprise. Your 
Shepherd is always prepared and knows exactly when 
and where you will experience difficulty. Place 
your absolute trust in your Good Shepherd that He 
will protect you and demonstrate His love for you 
through the darkest valley. [Experiencing God Day by 
Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby re Psa. 23:4] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

   If we watch the sheep in a pasture, we 
will see them do an interesting thing. Sometime 
during the day, each sheep, entirely on its own, 
leaves the flock and trots over to the shepherd, 
one at a time. The shepherd tenderly caresses 
the nose and ears, rubs the neck and head, and 
whispers in its ear. Calmed, encouraged and 
reassured, the sheep goes back to graze with the rest. 
   We also need such daily affirmation and 
reassurance from God. When our souls are restored, they 
are revived and stimulated. We need the caress, 
the rub, the "pep talk" from our shepherd. 
Unless we hear an "encouraging word," we become 
fearful and frantic. by A. Philip Parham  
   Good Shepherd, thank you for your loving 
words of reassurance and restoration. [Life 
Recovery Devotional SB] 

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

   Do not dread walking through the valley 
of the shadow of death. My radiant Presence 
shines brightly in that deep, sunless valley - 
strengthening, encouraging, and comforting you. Since I 
never sleep, I am able to watch over you 
constantly. Moreover, no valley is so deep, no pit so 
dark, that I cannot see all the way to the bottom 
of it.  
   Even if you wander from Me at times and 
fall into a slimy pit, you can count on Me to 
rescue you. When you cry out to Me, I lift you out 
of the mud and mire and set your feet on a rock 
- giving you a firm place to stand. Find 
comfort in My commitment to help you, even when you 
slip up.  
   Whenever you start to feel afraid, 
remember that I am with you. I've promised I will 
never leave you; I Myself go before you. While you 
are walking through the valley of adversity, 
keep these words of comfort flowing through your 
mind: I will fear no evil, for You are with me. 
(Psa. 23:4; 121:2, 3; 40:1, 2; Deu. 31:8) [Jesus 
Always by Sarah Young] 

   If you learn to trust Me - really trust 
Me - with your whole being, then nothing can 
separate you from My Peace. Everything you endure can 
be put to good use by allowing it to train you 
in trusting Me. This is how you foil the works 
of evil, growing in grace through the very 
adversity that was meant to harm you. Joseph was a 
prime example of this divine reversal, declaring 
to his brothers: "You meant evil against me, 
but God meant it for good."  
   Do not fear what this day, or any day, 
may bring your way. Concentrate on trusting Me 
and on doing what needs to be done. Relax in My 
sovereignty, remembering that I go before you, as well as 
with you, into each day. Fear no evil, for I can 
bring good out of every situation you will ever 
encounter. (Gen. 50:20; Psa. 23:4) [Jesus Calling by 
Sarah Young] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE

Psalm 23: One Of The Crown Jewels Of 
Scripture; v. 4:  

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2003/20030212-0713.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

Importance of Choice: 
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]  

Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David 
DeRose, MD, MPH: 
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657  

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW (Live 
Series): 
https://www.discoverhopeawakens.com/webinar-registration-21585698406854