19 Jan
Walk with Us – Session 1
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)
David was a herdsman, song writer, giant slayer, and eventually a king. In the first half of this psalm, he sings a song of himself as a sheep and the Lord as his shepherd. He celebrates that he is well taken care of, with all he needs, for rest, security, and peace in his soul.
He next paints a scene of a dangerous path through a deep, dark ravine where bandits, assassins and wild animals wait to pounce. He then makes a bold statement “I will fear no evil.” How so? “For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
It makes us wonder. Was David of a rare breed that lacked the normal fear response to danger? No fight or flight instinct? I doubt it. He had learned from his nights spent under the stars guarding helpless sheep from predators at the risk of his own life that his heavenly father was always close by. Then, even as a young man, he stepped up to square off with a giant champion warrior who was taunting the armies of Israel.
There was one thing he possessed that was greater than fear, which was the unearned, covenantal love of God. “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17.26)
What a strange time to bring up circumcision! What he’s declaring out loud is that Goliath had no covenant with God and therefore no power beyond his natural abilities, and that victory was already determined.
Fear isn’t conquered by willpower. It’s displaced by something greater, a revelation of something given, not earned. It’s the gift of a covenant, meaning a forever commitment from God given to anyone who chooses to receive it by simple faith.
The Bible tells us that we have access to an even greater covenant than David had. We now have the new covenant offered to us through Jesus’s sacrifice and victory over dark forces through his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, just for the asking.
That doesn’t sound fair does it? A gift is never fair. But what’s unique about this gift is that it is available to anyone who simply accepts it with child-like faith. That’s it.
Just like this young singing poet, you too can walk fearlessly through dark valleys and rest in green pastures because of this promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Walk With Us is a monthly giving campaign rooted in Psalm 23—a call to companionship, not urgency. When you become a monthly donor, you don’t just give. You journey. You show up month after month as a quiet but powerful presence in someone’s valley, beside their still waters, and toward a place of welcome.
