“Will we ever get through this desert?” That was the question on everybody’s mind by the afternoon of the second day of driving across the Kalahari Desert. I have no idea why as a child I had a fantasy of being in the Kalahari, regardless, here I was. What had been a dream as a kid was more like a nightmare in reality. Not only were we experiencing the expected conditions of the desert, hot, cold, dry, and sandy, but also were virtually surrounded by areas where guerilla soldiers were fighting. The further north we drove, the more the danger increased. We stayed one night in the only hotel we could find. If it had been rated according to the hotel star system, it might have been a minus 5 star. It was one large room with worn out army cots scattered around the walls, no air conditioner, no screens on the windows, no mosquito netting, and I will not gross you out with a description of the bathroom. Oh! I must not forget the tavern across the street blaring loud music all night to even louder drunks. Our hope was knowing that the next day we would finally make it through the desert and exit to a better place. Late in the afternoon, we reached the border and the end of the desert. That night we relaxed, ate, and slept in a plus 5-star hotel. Despite the fact this was the only route to our destination, we entered the desert with confidence we would make it through.
I hope you noticed I emphasized the word ‘through’. When reading, it is easy to overlook single words that carry great importance. This is especially true as we read the Bible. One example of the word ‘through’ is in Psalms 23. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil (Ps 23:4). As a shepherd, David knew as seasons changed, it was necessary to move his sheep to better pastures. These journeys were often long and many went through deep and dark valleys. These trails were not new to David. He traveled them many times, but for his timid sheep, it would have been a frightening experience. David wrote out of these experiences describing the LORD as our Shepherd and our journeys when the seasons of life change and it is time to move to better places. Jesus said He was the good Shepherd and we are His sheep. When it is time for us to move, He knows the way to the fresh green pastures because He is the Way. The journey may take us through frightening circumstances, but He has promised to keep us safe and lead us through.
David could have written, even though I walk ‘in’ the valley, or even though I ‘enter’ the valley. Either one of these words, ‘in’ or ‘enter,’ would have left us with an uncertainty of the outcome. However, David was inspired by the Holy Spirit to uses the word ‘through’ the valley. Through means, there is an entrance and there is an exit. After entering the Kalahari Desert, we endured the difficult surroundings because we knew we were driving through and at some point, we would exit.
The shadow of death does not necessarily mean physical death. This phrase could also be translated the valley of deep darkness or paraphrased, the valley of darkness with scary shadows. As a hunter, I have walked out of the woods many times after dark. If the moon was shining even a little bit, the shadows it made through the trees and rocks could produce any monster your mind could conceive. A friend and I once were terrified because we thought that we had walked up on a hippo while hiking along the shores of Lake Malawi after dark. We both screamed and ran—in fact, I ran over him. The next morning, we discovered it was the shadow of a large rock. Last week, Donna was working late and asked me to feed her cats. As I reached my hand down in the translucent barrel to scoop up the food, I saw something long and slender moving on the side next to my hand. Reaction caused me to jerk back thinking it was a snake. I laughed when I realized it was a shadow of the cat’s tail.
Satan is a master shadow maker. He can create shadows of horrible monsters that can leave us doubting and fearful. Shadows like uncertainty making us doubt if the Shepherd is still with us or knows where He is taking us; or shadows making us wonder if we will ever exit. David’s sheep probably could have survived on a diet of merger dried grass at the old pasture, but he knew there were better places. Our Shepherd does not want us merely surviving. When the seasons of life wither and dry up, He knows it is time to take us to new lush green pastures next to calm waters. He knows the way and He has promised He will take us THROUGH the places of deep darkness with its scary shadows.
Sustaining Word for the Week: THROUGH—there is an exit!