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When I was around ten, a well-meaning soul took me bar-hopping after a long day of fishing. Jesus said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and I do believe that's what they would have liked done to them. It was a fairly common occurrence. That was a school day, so they stopped in, claimed they were my father, and that I had a dentist appointment. But we followed the call of the river instead of the dentist that day.

Most of the bars here then were unlicensed juke joints and went by names like Hooterville, Flat Top, Frontis', or Bob's. Some still had dirt floors and sold their whiskey out of a truck toolbox out back. There were often other kids my age there, and if there was a raid, everyone scattered like leaves in the wind regardless of their number of years.

The fellow who took me this particular evening met a very friendly young woman, and I became a third wheel. So they found a lonely, winding dirt road and left me to wait in the woods while they drove on and found a secluded place to get to know each other better. This was about 2 AM in the morning, and good Lord, was it dark.

When a young man is meditating quietly underneath a tree at night alone in the deep woods, you would think it would be quiet, but it was really noisy. The sound of owls screeching, mixed with chirping, howling, and grunting, accompanied by the occasional cracking of branches, which made my heart skip a beat.

Yet, it was the shadows that haunted me the most. I found myself straining my eyes, peering into the darkness, convinced that if I looked long enough, I'd catch a glimpse of something lurking. I could almost make out shapes and sense some slight movement, but there was nothing there but the wind.

David wrote about shadows, and though I doubt his evening began like mine, he remembers the shadow.

(Psalm 23:1-4 NKJV) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 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.

David walked through the "Valley of the Shadow of Death." He spoke of some kind of dark, fearful experience in his life. A valley closed him in, meaning he felt hemmed in on all sides, with nowhere to turn, and the shadow of death cast fear across his path ahead. Though it was not actual death but its shadow, it appeared to be the end of the line for him.

We should note that David walked "through" Death Valley. It was not his dwelling place or his destination; he was merely passing through on his way to a brighter area. A shadow cannot block your path or stop you, but the fear of it can.

David said, "I Will Fear No Evil."

The word David used for fear means "to be afraid, be frightened, be in a state of feeling great distress, and deep concern of pain or unfavorable circumstances." The word he used for evil means "bad, evil, wicked, no good."

So David made a deliberate choice not to be frightened, distressed, or deeply concerned about bad, evil, wicked, or no good circumstances because the Lord was with him. YOU are with ME. David often wrote that he would not be afraid because of the Lord:

(Psalm 56:11 NKJV) In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

(Psalm 27:1 NKJV) The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

(Psalm 34:4 NKJV) I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

David was writing about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. It is notable that the Lord would call Himself our Shepherd, for in Israel, a shepherd was the lowest of professions. It was usually given to the youngest son, like David (1 Samuel 16:11). Yet, Jesus Christ embraced the title:

(John 10:14 NKJV) I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

(Luke 15:1-3 NKJV) Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

(Luke 15:4-7 NKJV) "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

The shepherd lives with his flock. He guides them, protects them, feeds them, and is their physician. The Lord is not a distant being but right there with them in the fields. He calls the sheep by their name. When danger comes, the shepherd is there to protect them. David was raised as a shepherd and learned that just as he protected his flock, the Lord protected him. When David says, "He makes me lie down in green pastures," he is covering a lot of ground.

Philip Keller (in A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23) writes that sheep do not lie down easily, and will not unless four conditions are met. Because they are timid, they will not lie down if they are afraid. Because they are social animals, they will not lie down if there is friction among the sheep. If flies or parasites trouble them, they will not lie down. Finally, if sheep are anxious about food or hungry, they will not lie down. Rest comes because the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies, and famine.

For there to be a shadow, there has to be a light. And even when we face the shadow of death, it means the light of heaven is shining through on the other side. The Good Shepherd will always guide you through the valley, and the presence of the Shepherd will banish the fear of evil.

Shadows represent fear of the unknown, but you may find, like me, there was nothing there at all.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I believe. Please help my unbelief. Help me stand strong when facing the unknown. Help me see the light past the shadows. I know You are with me today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!