Excerpts from Nancy Leigh DeMoss of Women’s Ministry: Revive Our Hearts
For the complete video clip, go to Knowing the Shepherd: Insights from Psalm 23
Knowing the Shepherd
“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
The valley of the shadow of death is also called “the valley of deep darkness.” What is your valley of deep darkness?
Going through a valley does not mean you are an immature Christian. Jesus experienced 40 days of loneliness and temptation—His own valley of deep darkness. How does this help you walk through your own valley?
Sometimes a sense of God’s presence is nonexistent as we walk through our valley of darkness. Why do you think God allows this to happen?
We learned that the Shepherd leads us in “right paths,” and the valley of deep darkness is one of those paths. How does an understanding of the love and character of God—the truth that God is good—help you during valley days?
How did Job feel in the valley? (Job 23:8-9)
How did Job’s perspective help him in the valley? (Job 23:10)
It’s more important that God knows where ______ are than that you know where He is. Remember that you are walking ______ the valley of deep darkness. God didn’t lead you there to leave you there! Is there ever cause to fear evil? (Psalm 23:4)
The Psalmist says of his Shepherd, “You are with me.” How does this truth comfort youwhen you think of your own dark valleys?
David expresses faith in what he knows to be true—that God is with him—even when everything around him seems to scream otherwise. Read Isaiah 43:1-2 and write your own testimony of faith concerning God’s presence in the good times and the bad times.
In the valley, the Shepherd is our companion, guide, protector, and comforter. How has God shown His faithfulness to you in one of these areas when you needed Him most? Our Heavenly Shepherd comforts us with a rod and staff. “Com-fort” means “with______.” God strengthens us in our greatest times of need.
We tend to look for ways of escape from our valleys, instead of looking to the Shepherd for comfort and strength to go through the valleys. What have you used in the past to escape from or dull the pain of your valleys?
How is God’s shepherding better than these other resources?
A rod is a symbol of the shepherd’s power to protect against enemies, and is a symbol of security to the sheep. A hooked staff is used to restrain the sheep from wandering, or to pull them out of places where they shouldn’t be. It is used to prod and guide the sheep. What are some examples of our Shepherd’s rod and staff in our lives today?
Paul received comfort in his afflictions from the “God of all comfort.” What is one reason God comforts us in our valleys of deep darkness? (2 Corinthians 1:3-6)
© Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission.
