More Than Enough!

More Than Enough!

Psalm 23:4

The 23rd Psalm begins with green pastures and still waters... as the Shepherd, the Lord, restores and refreshes His sheep, while leading them in the paths of righteousness. It’s a beautiful and reassuring psalm, that certainly brings hope and peace and comfort to us as God’s people.

But in verse 4 (which happens to be one of your favorites), the imagery and scenery changes. “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.”

The Psalmist, David, finds himself not on the gentle hill of comfort... but rather in a valley... surrounded by shadows... where death seems near.

Of course, this humble verse speaks directly to the reality that the Christian life is not free from hardship, danger, or death. A Truth to which every single person in the sanctuary can attest.

Yet here, David professes a bold and confident faith, declaring, “I will fear no evil.” Not because evil is absent, but because the Shepherd is present.

Notice that David began verse 4, saying, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”

“Even though” implies a present reality; it does not seek to deny the dark realism of life. As followers of Christ, we’re not insulated from the harshness and dangers of this world. We’re called to walk through valleys... the places of trial, suffering, and even death itself. The path of righteousness does not bypass suffering; it most often goes directly through it.

R.C. Sproul (one of my favorite Reformed theologians), said: “The presence of suffering does not indicate the absence of God. Rather, it is often in our darkest valleys that His presence is most deeply known.”

Truth is... it is precisely IN the valley of the shadow of death that we honestly, most earnestly seek Christ; with the most sincerity... knowing that He is our only refuge and our only secure hope.

Of course, there’s something significant in this verse that we’re prone to miss. David refers to valley as the SHADOW of death. It’s a shadow. When we speak, even today, of something being a “shadow of it’s former self” - in other words, it’s strength, it’s impact, it’s punch (or sting as 1st Corinthians 15 puts it) has been diminished.

Christ, our Shepherd, has defeated death itself. For His sheep, death is no longer a full reality, but a shadow cast by the light of the cross and resurrection. Shadows can frighten us, but they cannot ultimately harm us.

Verse 4 continues: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me...”

There’s no doubt that evil surrounds us. Just turn on the evening news... politician’s attacked and killed in their home... a young girl from Ukraine murdered in cold blood as the rode public transportation... a retired veterinarian professor murdered in a “safe and nice” park as she walked her dog.. a CEO of a medical/pharm corportation killed in broad daylight in New York... an advocate for “free speech” assassinated by a coward on a college campus.

We certainly live in a time where “good is called evil and evil is called good.” We’ve lost our way, as a people, and anyone who tells you differently speaks deception, and there’s plenty of that to go around...

But, notice the shift here in our Psalm. Earlier in the psalm, David spoke of the Shepherd in the 3rd person: “He makes me lie down… He restores my soul…” But now in the valley, David speaks directly to God: “You are with me.”

In the light, he spoke about God;

but in the dark shadows, he speaks to God.

Sinclair Ferguson puts it beautifully: “It is often in the darkest valleys that the most intimate communion with Christ takes place. For when every other comfort is stripped away, we discover that His presence is more than enough.”

His presence is more than enough. He is more than enough! Christ is more than enough to dispel our fears, and our grief, and to comfort us in our distress.

The Lord’s sovereign presence is the foundation of David’s confidence. Again... not the absence of danger, but the presence of the Shepherd.

As people of faith; believers, followers of Christ... we never walk alone through suffering, through persecution, or through death itself.

Christ, the Good Shepherd, walks with us.

The fact of the matter is... Christ Himself has walked through the deepest of all valleys at Calvary... where He faced the full weight of sin and judgment so that we would never face it alone. Because He entered that valley for us, He now walks with us through every valley we face.

Of course, we have one more truth to think about, and I’ll be done:

“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.”

This is the part of God’s Word we modern Christians often choose to ignore. God is love! But God is equally righteous!

Of course, a shepherd’s rod was a club used to protect the sheep from predators. His staff was a crook used to guide, rescue, and steady the sheep. Together, they represent both the love and the righteousness of the Shepherd.

Love ~ The rod that protects us, reminds us that nothing (no-thing) in this life, nor the next, can separate us from His love—not even the shadow of death.

Righteousness ~ The staff that guides and corrects, reminds us that God treats us as sons and daughters... correcting us when we need it... and guiding us with His grace ever before us. He leads us through the valley; He does not abandon us in it.

Sproul reminds us: “God is not only sovereign over the valley, He is sovereign in the valley. Nothing befalls the Christian apart from His wise and loving providence.”

And that, my friends, is were we find comfort... not in our own strength, not in the absence of danger, but in the Shepherd’s divine providence, the Lord’s power and care.

So what does all this say to us, when the darkness of fear, grief or doubt over-shadow our lives?

~ Well, when you and I fear (be it suffering, or death, or the condition of the world around us)... Remember: the Shepherd has already defeated death and overcome this world. You walk only through the valley of a shadow. And I’ve yet to see a shadow with any strength.

~ When you and I are grieving and it feels that the valley is closing in around us... Take comfort in the assurance that our Shepherd is with you. His presence is not abstract—it is personal and near. He walks with us “through the valley.” Speak to Him and take comfort in His presence.

~ And when we face doubt and begin to question whether God is still in control in the face of our heartache and suffering: Look at the rod and staff. He protects, He guides, and He disciplines—all for our good and His ultimate glory.

Psalm 23:4 brings us to the valley, but it does not leave us there. The valley is real, but so is the presence of the Shepherd. The shadows may terrify, but they cannot destroy. The rod and the staff are in His hands, and in His nail pierced hands you and I are safely held unto eternal life.

Remember... it’s in the valley we often learn the sweetest lessons of Christ’s presence. For God is sovereign even in the midst of our the shadows.

That’s why we can say with David: “I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”

Christ is more than enough.

Amen.