The verse that means the most to me is, Psalm 23:4 “even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
In the beginning of this verse it talks about valleys. Valleys can be very pretty but can also be dark, cold and sometimes seem endless. You can’t always see your way. And too often, oh Lord, we find ourselves in valleys, scared, tired and anxious.
David wrote this psalm, he found himself in the “darkest valley”, But David knew God would watch out for him. In the story of David and Goliath, David knew that it would be almost impossible for him to fight goliath. For he was a giant and was heavily armored, And David was too small to wear heavy armor, has never fought before, and just carried a slingshot. But all those things didn’t matter because God was in control and guided David. God helped David through his ‘dark valley’ He felt comfort in the presence of Him and had faith- using God as a shield.
Just like David, I often find myself talking to God, using him as a shield in my darkest valleys. For example, a few years ago my house burnt down, leaving us with nothing, but what we had on us. At the time I thought god might be punishing me, but really, he was preparing me to be stronger. He showed his love to me through all the people that helped my family and I through the hard time and getting us back on our feet. Its been very hard to think about. But I am progressively getting better and I thank God for everyone who has helped me.
Other than God being a shield, sports have helped me. If you didn’t know, I have had a passion for hockey and softball ever since I can remember. They help me forget about all the problems of being a teenager. Whether it’s through a win or lose, I’m always learning new things that I didn’t know about myself. Like the feeling you get when your team wins a big game or when you score your first goal. Being part of a team can feel great. Its another family outside of home. You can bond together doing something you all love. But I have had my fair share of bad experiences on a sports team. Such as being isolated from a group or bullied by a coach and being pushed around by people I considered my teammates. From everything I was put through, I learned that I need to stand up for myself and to continue to do what I love to do, despite my skill level or the unnecessary doubt I always received. But there were always people to encourage me when I was at my lowest Such as the support I got from my family, friends, past coaches and of course God.
This verse began with valleys- the dark, scary places we wander. But it ends with a message about hope. “I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and staff, they comfort me.” David trusts God. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is described as a shepherd caring for hundreds of sheep and will go out of his way if even one is in danger. His tools as a shepherd are a rod and staff- the rod to ward off other animals who would hurt the sheep, and the staff with the crook at the end to draw the sheep near. What’s beautiful about this image is that it reminds us that we are being watched over and cared for. We’ll never be able to avoid the dark times, but we can face them with strength because Jesus will be with us, and he promises to lead us through the valley.